First Douglas Adams award winners

Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding yesterday picked up their Douglas Adams award for comedy writing.

But the BBC told them that the£5,000 cheque that goes with it is in the post.

The duo won the accolade for their show The Boosh, now being broadcast on Radio 4at 11pm on Tuesdays.

Presenting the award at Broadcasting House, Adams's widow Jane (pictured with Noel and Julian) said: "Douglas would have been really pleased about this.

"He loved writing for radio - well, except for the cheque thing. He would sometimes even finish the scripts on time."

The BBC's head of radio entertainment, John Pidgeon, said he was "looking forward to another piece of innovative comedy writing" from Barratt and Fielding on the back of their commission.

Pidgeon came up with the idea for The Douglas Adams Award, given to the writers of a BBC radio show, following the death of the Hitch Hikers Guide To The Galaxy creator earlier this year.

The Boosh was originally developed for London Live (now BBC London) before getting its national airing. It was recorded in a makeshift studio set up in a toilet (story).

Barratt and Fielding's first Edinburgh show, The Mighty Boosh, won the Perrier best newcomer award in 1998. They were nominated for the main award in 1999 and won the Barry Award at the Melbourne Comedy Festival in 2000.

So Long And Thanks For All The Fish - A Tribute To Douglas Adams will broadcast on Radio 4 on Thursday November 8 at 6.30pm.

Published: 7 Nov 2001