A tight 5: March 20

DAVE JOHNS has been named best newcomer at the Empire Magazine film awards – at the age of 61 - for his role in Ken Loach's I, Daniel Blake.

BRISTOL'S Comedy Garden festival is to return this year, it has been announced. Ross Noble, Adam Hills, Nina Conti and Greg Davies are among those who will be performing at the marquee in the city's Queen Square from June 14 to 18.

FINALISTS have been named for this year's Musical Comedy Awards, which will take place at the Lyric Theatre in London's West End on April 10. They are Friz Frizzle, Will Hislop, Katie Pritchard, Two Plus Ones, Rasputin's Lunchbox, Hurt & Anderson and Tom Taylor.

THE Last Leg trounced ITV's ailing Nightly Show in the ratings on Friday. The Adam Hills-fronted show averaged 1,4million viewers between 10pm and 11.05pm, while Davina McCall's final night at the helm of the ITV's much-derided comedy entertainment format fell just short of 1million.

JO BRAND is to address an academic session about 'the funny side of social work' tomorrow afternoon. The comic and former psychiatric nurse will be joined by Clare in the Community creator Harry Venning and two academics at the free event at Brunel University. Click here to attend.

Published: 20 Mar 2017