He's the boss
Gervais named most powerful man in comedy
Ricky Gervais has been named the most powerful person in British television comedy.
He's topped a list created by the Radio Times for his work with The Office.
The magazine considered viewing figures, the views of comedy experts, financial information and track records to compile the list.
However, the list is based only on the last 12 months, so it contains few long-established stars - with Rowan Atkinson, Billy Connolly and Ben Elton all absent.
Paul Whitehouse, Jonathan Ross, Peter Kay, Jasper Carrott and Chris Evans all made the top 50 list.
The magazine said: "Ricky Gervais owned TV comedy in 2002," describing him and writing partner Stephen Merchant as "the most potent duo in television".
Next week's comedy-themed edition of the magazine features four separate covers: Ricky Gervais and Jonathan Ross; Ant and Dec; Sanjeev Bhaskar and Meera Syal; and Paul Whitehouse and Jack Dee.
THE TOP TEN
2. Steve Coogan
3. Graham Norton
4= BBC1 controller Lorraine Heggessey
4= BBC2 controller Jane Root
6. Talkback Productions
7. Paul Whitehouse
8. Sacha Baron Cohen
9.C4 head of entertainment Danielle Lux
10. Jonathan Ross
Published: 6 Jan 2003
