Praise for his Parkinson's film

The Vicar of Dibley’s co-writer has won an award for a documentary showing the funny side of Parkinson's disease.

Paul Mayhew-Archer was named best presenter at the Grierson Awards, which celebrate Britain’s best documentaries.

Parkinson's: The Funny Side was a rare venture in front of the camera for the man who has written on Miranda, My Hero and Mrs Brown's Boys, as well as The Vicar of Dibley with Richard Curtis.

Jury chair Liesel Evans said: ‘What sets our winner apart is his use of humour in tackling a complicated subject in a way that felt genuine and persuasive whilst being completely charming and insightful.’

Mayhew-Archer was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2011 and spoke about his experiences on the film, which aired as part of BBC One's Inside Out strand in March.

At the time, he said: ‘When I was diagnosed, I was told I had five good years left. I'm coming to the end of that now – so I spoke to people further down the line, to find out what lies in store.

‘It's my little journey. It does look at the darker side of Parkinson's, but also the positive. I try to give people a laugh. I'm a great believer in the therapeutic power of laughter. People need to know that Parkinson's is not the end – there's plenty of reason to be optimistic, and find the funny side of life.’

For his award he faced competition from David Attenborough, Louis Theroux and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

Here is Mayhew-Archer talking about the film on BBC Breakfast:

Published: 8 Nov 2016