A tight 5: August 23

THE WINNERS of the Malcolm Hardee Comedy Awards have been announced at the Edinburgh Fringe. Candy Gigi won the award for comic originality; Christian Talbot won the cunning stunt award for the way he deployed his 12 year-old daughter Kate to hand out flyers; and Luisa Omielan was named Act Most Likely To Make a Million Quid.

BIG TALK – the producers of comedies including Ambassadors, Rev and Him and Her – was named production company of the year at the Edinburgh TV Awards, which were hosted by John Bishop last night.

NOMINEES for the new Barry Award, voted on by Edinburgh Fringe comics themselves, have also been announced. Up for best show are Aunty Donna, Bec Hill: Ellipsis, Funz and Gamez, Joseph Morpurgo: Odessa and Knightmare Live. And best performer: John Kearns, Sean McLoughlin, Spencer Jones. Trygve Wakenshaw and Will Franken. Best person has a bias towards the various free organisations with nominees Alex Petty (of Laughing Horse Free Festival); Bob Slayer (of Heroes); comedian Damian Clark, Free Fringe founder Peter Buckley Hill, and Renata Brightman, an administrator with Freestival. Organiser Barry Ferns has not yet divulged how many votes were received.

BBC One's new sitcom Boomers lost 890,000 viewers between its first and second episodes, attracting 3.56million on Friday night, according to overnight figures. However the comedy, starring June Whitfield, Russ Abbot and Alison Steadman, was still the most-watched show in its 9pm slot.

Michael McIntyre is not doing a gig at the Tower Of London at Christmas, with tickets priced at up to £540 a head, as we reported yesterday. The supposed promoters have not yet commented on why they were advertising the show – but McIntyre's agents Off The Kerb are adamant it's not taking place.

Published: 23 Aug 2014