Paul Zenon collects an award from Ken Dodd

Paul Zenon has received a comedy award from Sir Ken Dodd.

The entertainer was honoured with the accolade, named after Dodd himself, at the Blackpool Magicians’ Convention at the weekend

Around 4,000 magicians and fans attend the event, now in its 65th year. Sir Ken is honorary life president and each year he presents the Sir Ken Dodd Award for Comedy to someone who is judged to have made an outstanding contribution to comedy in magic. Previous winners have included Tommy Cooper, Joe Pasquale and American conjurer Carl Ballentine.

After Sir Ken presented Zenon with the award, the pair launched into an a cappella version of  Dodd’s signature tune, Happiness.

Zenon said: ‘I’m particularly tickled to be awarded it as I used to go to the convention every year from the age of 11 and marvel at Doddie on the Opera House stage, little dreaming that I'd be up there singing Happiness with the legend all these years later. He's the last of the music hall greats.’

• Fay Presto had a miracle escape when she crashed on the M6 driving home from the convention. Her car overturned near Sandbach services, and she posted online that she ‘crawled out’ of the wreckage. She was given the all-clear after six hours in casualty.

Published: 21 Feb 2017