Catherine Tate wins National TV Award for comedy

The Catherine Tate Show has won the 2007 National Television Award for Most Popular Comedy.

As Tate was not at the awards ceremony, Life on Mars actor Philip Glenister picked up the award on her behalf. He explained away the comedienne's absence by saying she was babysitting host Trevor McDonald's children.

The sketch show beat Ugly Betty, My Family and Harry Hill's TV Burp in the public vote to be named the most popular comedy.

The NTA comedy award was presented by Matt Lucas and David Walliams dressed as their popular Little Britain characters Lou and Andy, but in a twist the double-act dressed in reverse for the first time; with Walliams being the wheelchair-bound Andy, and Lucas the enthusiastic Lou.

Earlier in the year Tate claimed award ceremonies were unfair, after losing out on a BAFTA award for a third time. At the BAFTA ceremony in May, cameras caught the comedienne badly concealing her shock at not winning, leading to many to call her a bad loser.

The Catherine Tate Show returns to television this Christmas for a one-off special. The episode will feature a flashback of Joannie "Nan" Taylor from the 1950s and it is rumored the character of gobby teenager Lauren Cooper will be killed off during the special. It remains to be seen whether a fourth series of the sketch show will be made, however if one is produced it is unlikely to be soon - Tate is currently concentrating on her role as Donna Noble in Doctor Who.

The third series of The Catherine Tate Show is released on DVD on the 12th November. You can pre-order it from Amazon.co.uk now.

Elsewhere at the National Television Awards, Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly picked up three prizes, Top Gear was named most popular factual programme and Jeremy Clarkson picked up the Special Recognition award. Full Results