Comedy.co.uk Awards 2021 results

Monday 21st February 2022, 1:00pm

Taskmaster has been named Comedy Of The Year 2021 by voters in the Comedy.co.uk Awards
The Cleaner, Ghosts, Horrible Histories, Would I Lie To You? and Inside No. 9 also won in the TV categories
The radio trophies went to Michael Spicer: Before Next Door, Dead Ringers, The Unbelievable Truth, You're Dead To Me

The winners of the Comedy.co.uk Awards 2021 have been revealed, recognising the best television and radio of the past twelve months.

From more than 370 nominees, Channel 4's Taskmaster is this year's big winner, taking home the title of Best TV Entertainment Show and also claiming the much-coveted Comedy Of The Year prize.

The challenge show's co-host, Greg Davies, also picked up Best New TV Sitcom for his BBC One series The Cleaner.

Below are the full results across all 10 categories:

Comedy Of The Year 2021 & Best TV Entertainment Show: Taskmaster

Alex Horne and Greg Davies conducted a video call to discuss the show's win.

Best New TV Sitcom: The Cleaner

The Cleaner. Paul 'Wicky' Wickstead (Greg Davies)

As seen in the above video, Greg Davies says: "I'm absolutely delighted. The Cleaner's been a labour of love for me. Thank you so much to all who voted, and thank you to the team who make The Cleaner with me. I'm delighted, really am genuinely delighted to get this - thanks a lot!"

Best Returning TV Sitcom: Ghosts

Ghosts. Image shows from L to R: Captain (Ben Willbond), Robin (Laurence Rickard), Lady Button (Martha Howe-Douglas), Pat (Jim Howick), Thomas (Mathew Baynton), Julian (Simon Farnaby). Copyright: Guido Mandozzi

The Ghosts creators and stars - Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond - say: "We're thrilled to have won the Comedy.co.uk Award for best returning sitcom. Thanks to everyone who voted. We shall be returning again later this year so don't go anywhere!"

Best Radio Sitcom: Michael Spicer: Before Next Door

Michael Spicer filmed a video to accept the award for his Radio 4 sitcom:

Best TV Sketch Show: Horrible Histories

King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I. Photograph by Eleanor Howarth. Image shows left to right: Tom Stourton, Harrie Hayes

Jessica Ransom, contributing writer and one of the core cast members, says: "It means ever so much that people have taken the time to vote for us at all, to win is the icing on the cake. It's a joy and a privilege to make the show as part of a massive team effort. The mine of horrible historical stories seems pretty bottomless, so we're delighted to keep on digging for more. Thank you!"

Lead writer Ben Ward adds: "Thanks to everyone who voted. Horrible Histories is such a pleasure to write it doesn't seem right that we get an award for it as well. But we're not giving it back."

Executive producer Simon Welton comments: "The writers, production team, cast and crew all worked incredibly hard to make this series in the trickiest of times, so this is a lovely testimony to all of their magnificent effort - particularly as it's voted for by the public, which means everything to us. Thanks so much to everyone who voted for us, and onwards (or possibly backwards, given the subject matter) to more historical silliness in the future!"

Best Radio Sketch Show: Dead Ringers

Creator and producer Bill Dare accepted the trophy for the impressions-based topical comedy show:

Best TV Panel Show: Would I Lie To You?

Image shows from L to R: Peter Holmes, Rachel Ablett

Creator Peter Holmes and fellow executive producer Rachel Ablett accepted the award on behalf of the production team.

Host Rob Brydon, and captains Lee Mack and David Mitchell, say: "We are extremely touched and grateful for this award and would like to thank each and every one of the people who voted for us - though by 'each and every one' we don't mean to imply that we're planning to thank people individually as that simply wouldn't be workable. But thank you very much. This award genuinely means just as much to us as any of the ones where you also get a free dinner."

Best Radio Panel Show: The Unbelievable Truth

The trophy for the Radio 4 panel show was presented at a recording for the upcoming series. David Mitchell, the programme's host, said: "I'm delighted and honoured that The Unbelievable Truth has been voted best radio panel show in the Comedy.co.uk Awards. A huge thanks to everyone who voted for the show but also a small thanks to everyone who didn't vote for one of our rivals."

Best Radio Entertainment Show: You're Dead To Me

Host Greg Jenner accepted the award for the Radio 4 broadcast of his podcast:

Best TV Comedy Drama: Inside No. 9

Inside No. 9. Image shows from L to R: Simon Smethurst (Reece Shearsmith), Spencer Maguire (Steve Pemberton)

Writers and stars, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith said: "We are humbled to win the Comedy.co.uk Award for Comedy Drama once again in the face of such stiff competition. Either we are truly the best at this trumped up genre or we have the most tireless and supportive fans. Either way it's a very nice feeling so thank you to everyone who watched and voted and we hope you'll join us Inside No. 9 again soon."

This was the 16th year of the Comedy.co.uk Awards. Voting was conducted via the British Comedy Guide website over two rounds between 11th and 30th January 2022. The initial week-long longlist round saw every comedy to have debuted during the 2021 calendar year (371 in total) nominated in one of ten genre-based categories. The most popular six titles in each category then moved forward to a final shortlist round of voting, which occurred between Monday 17th and Sunday 30th January.

The results are based entirely on the public poll, with almost 400,000 votes cast.

Voting for the best of 2022's comedy programmes will open in early January 2023.

For more details and for a history of the awards, see the Comedy.co.uk Awards homepage