This paper analyses dialogue interpreting in the context of the televised talk show. In the first part the author examines some basic issues related to broadcast talk. Among these are the television speech context, the distinction between on-screen and off-screen participants, the function of the presenter, the use of language and the goal of communication. In the second part of the article - using a framework which draws on conversational analysis– the author explores how the interpreter's role and identity are interactionally constructed by participants. The author argues that the talk show features a greater visibility and involvement of the interpreter in terms of meaning negotiation, topic management and turn-taking behaviour, all of which calls for extra competence as compared to other institutional settings. In a final isntance, the author points to the need for research to adopt a sociolinguistic approach in order to gear training to the realities of the interpreting profession.