Success for Gavin & Stacy

Gavin & Stacey, Simon Amstell and David Michell were big winners at the 18th annual British Comedy Awards last night.

Gavin & Stacey won best new scripted comedy, while its stars, and co-creators, Ruth Jones and James Cordon won best new actress and actor accordingly.

Amstell won best entertainment personality, while Never Mind The Buzzcocks was named best comedy entertainment show. He thanked 'Mark Lamarr for leaving. I've done really well out of that depression.

Mitchell won best comedy actor, while Peep Show won the big prize of the night, best TV comedy.

As expected, host Jonathan Ross cracked plenty of jokes at the expense of ITV, which decided not to air the show live following inconsistencies in the 2005 phone-in vote.

This is how we reported the awards as they unfolded, including all the winners:

10:37: Backstage, Alan Carr says he has no plans to try to break America, like many other British comedy stars are trying to do, fearing his looks will hold him back. 'The last time teeth like mine were in a movie was Jaws,’ he said.

10:27 Jonathan Ross ended the show with one last joke at ITV's expense: 'If you're watching at home, it's only because someone at the back recorded it on their phone and put it on YouTube.'

10:25: Best TV comedy, presented by Faye Dunaway, went to Peep Show, the second award for David Mitchell. He thanked 'the people who invented the technology of TV' as he collected his gong with co-star Robert Webb.

10:20: The best stand-up award was presented by former BBC One head Peter Fincham, who received a standing ovation. It went to Alan Carr, to the crowd's delight. He said: 'It was getting on my nerves not winning anything tonight. My poker face was fucked. I'd like to thank my writer - Duncan Norvelle. This wins means the world to me.’ He joked that his agent, Danny Julian, urged him to 'camp it up' to be a success and to 'Ditch the wife, she's holding you back.’

10:12: Jonathan Ross said ITV was run by 'fools and thieves' for not airing the show live in the wake of the phone-in vote scandals.

10:11: Best comedy entertainment programme, presented by Sally Stanley from sponsor Highland Spring and Keith Allen, went to Never Mind The Buzzcocks, the second award for Simon Amstell tonight. He thanked 'Mark Lamarr for leaving. I've done really well out of that depression. He's fine now, isn't he?’

10:06: Best international show, presented by Stephen Mangan and Jennifer Coolidge, went to Curb Your Enthusiasm, but Larry David is far to 'wealthy and curmudgeonly' to come over to London to collect it.

10:03: Best male and female newcomer, presented by Lily Allen and Alex James, went to Gavin & Stacey's Ruth Jones and James Cordon. They were both presented together, a bit of giveaway that Sharon Horgan and Matt Berry weren't going to win, despite their nominations.

9:54: Best entertainment personality was presented by Fern Britton and 'this year's Turner Prize winner' - or at least a man in a bear suit. Britton joked it was called 'Mohammed', but Ross cautioned: 'Don't do that or they will kill you too.' The prize went to Simon Amstell

9:52: Best comedy film, awarded by Sophie Okonedo and Peter Serafinowicz, went to The Simpsons Movie.

9:50: JK Rowling awarded a lifetime achievement award to Stephen Fry, who accepted via video link from Key West in Florida. In a sincere speech, he said he accepted the award 'on behalf of a profession I deeply believe in: the comedian.’ He said he couldn't give any serious advice to new comics, except to be thankful we live in a country where comedy is 'revered'. He said he was 'too thrilled' to say anything amusing. 'I am still insanely proud to be involved in British comedy. It's one of the few things we do exceedingly well.’

9:42: Backstage, Liz Smith said she thought The Royle Family has 'got to a natural ending' with her character, Nan, dying and Anthony leaving home. She said: 'I'm sad that if they did any more ever, I won't be in it, I'll be in a pot on the TV. I would work with Caroline Aherne again, though, she is the most wonderful writer and director.'

9:37:Bill Bailey presented the Ronnie Barker Writers' Guild award to Simon Pegg. Bailey said: 'You sort of forget, because he makes it very easy, how good a performer he is.’ Pegg said: 'I feel slightly fraudulent as I've got here on the shoulders of other people: Jessica Stevenson, Edgar Wright, Nick Frost.’

9:30:Best new British TV comedy (scripted), presented by Gillian Anderson and Jimmy Carr 'one of the world's most beautiful women - and one of the world’s men’, is won by Gavin & Stacey. They were up for seven awards tonight. Co-creator James Corden said 'not going to stand up then?’ when he didn't get a standing ovation, after Liz Smith did.

9:25: Backstage, David Mitchell said he would text his family news of his award, 'because it's more modern - and colder'

9:24: Best TV comedy actress, presented by Life on Mars's Philip Glenister, is won by Liz Smith for The Royle Family: The Queen Of Sheeba. She said: 'God bless Caroline Aherne.’

9:19:Backstage, Al Murray said of winning best new entertainment show: 'I'm totally boggled by the whole thing. I've never been invited before and to win the first thing up is all a bit aaaargh.’

9:14: Best TV Actor award, presented by Twiggy and Gok Wan, went to David Mitchell for Peep Show.

9:11: Best New Entertainment Programme award, presented by Christopher Biggins, went to Al Murray's Happy Hour

9:07: Jonathan Ross gag: 'After three series of Tittybangbang, it's looking increasingly unlikely it was a bet.’

9:02: Jonathan Ross has joked that like Bruce Forsyth, 'this may or may not be live', adding 'TV is on the naughty step, and like the Peter Serfinowicz Show, it's no laughing matter'. The votes have been scrutinised with all the thoroughness of a 'Portuguese police investigation,’ he added.

8:55 Every celeb has run the gauntlet of flashbulbs on the red carpet, and Chortle is ensconced backstage. So far, we've spotted Jonathan Ross, Christopher Biggins, Peter Serafinowicz, Jack Dee, Bill Bailey, Dara O Brian and Ed Byrne, among others.

Published: 5 Dec 2007