Channel 4 postpones next week's ceremony amid growing Covid fears

Channel 4 have called off the National Comedy Awards due to be held next week – because of the Omicron variant of Covid.

The awards were due to be handed out at the Camden Roundhouse in London next Wednesday and broadcast two days later.

However they have now been postponed to an as-yet undisclosed later date in light of the new strain of the coronavirus.

Winners are decided by public vote – which has been paused in light of today’s news. But organisers say votes already cast will still be counted and voting will reopen next year for the remaining period.

A Channel 4 spokesperson confirmed: ‘Due to the uncertainty around the Omicron variant we have decided to postpone this large-scale event.’

Another 101 Omicron variant cases have been recorded in the UK in the last 24 hours, taking the total across the country to 437.

Today, Boris Johnson said early indications are that  fears the Omicron variant is more transmissible than the current predominant strain, Delta.

Downing Street also warned that it is still unclear what impact the vaccines have on the new variant.

Sex Education led the shortlists  of the National Comedy Awards when they were announced last month with five nominations, closely followed by Ghosts with four.

This is the first time the National Comedy Awards have been run, and are part of Channel 4’s Stand Up To Cancer fundraising camapaign.

They are widely seen as a successor to the British Comedy Awards, which were given out every year from 1990 to 2014, first on ITV and latterly on Channel 4.

The full list of nominees, which was also compiled by public vote, is:

Best Scripted Comedy

Sex Education
Ghosts
This Way Up
Motherland

Outstanding Comedy Actress

Aisling Bea (This Way Up)
Charlotte Ritchie (Ghosts)
Anjana Vasan (We Are Lady Parts)
Emma Mackey (Sex Education)

Outstanding Comedy Actor

Greg Davies (The Cleaner)
Asa Butterfield (Sex Education)
Lee Mack (Not Going Out)
Matthew Baynton (Ghosts)

Outstanding Supporting Role

Ncuti Gatwa (Sex Education)
Diane Morgan (Motherland)
Aimee Lou Wood (Sex Education)
Lolly Adefope (Ghosts)

Best Comedy Entertainment Show

Taskmaster
Rob & Romesh Vs
8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown
Would I Lie To You

Outstanding Female Comedy Entertainment Performance   

Daisy May Cooper (Taskmaster)
Rosie Jones (Trip Hazard)
Katherine Ryan (8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown)
Sandi Toksvig (QI)

Outstanding Male Comedy Entertainment Performance

Mo Gilligan (The Lateish Show)
Sean Lock (8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown)
Mike Wozniak (Taskmaster)
James Acaster (Hypothetical)

Best Comedy Podcast

Off Menu with James Acaster and Ed Gamble
My Therapist Ghosted Me with Vogue Williams and Joanne McNally
Shagged Married Annoyed with Rosie and Chris Ramsey
Rob Beckett & Josh Widdecombe’s Parenting Hell

Best Stand-Up Show

Sarah Millican
Ricky Gervais
Katherine Ryan
Mo Gilligan
Jason Manford

Comedy Breakthrough Performer

Judi Love
Joanne McNally
Munya Chawawa
Rosie Jones
Rose Matafeo

Published: 7 Dec 2021