Sarah Millican

Sarah Millican is an inspirational bestseller

Sarah Millican has deservedly become the highest-selling female comedian of all time with her debut DVD, Chatterbox Live.

Sarah Millican reflects on her remarkable DVD success

Sarah Millican's debut DVD, Chatterbox, has sold 150,000 copies, an all-time record for a female stand-up comedian. She talks to Dominic Cavendish.

With Fridays being the unofficial stand-up night of the week (­seriously, check out tonight's telly - so much comedy there's not even room to swing a cat-sized reality show around), the award ceremony dedicated to all things funny sits among welcoming surroundings.

Jonathan Ross is on hosting duties so, as the show is live, we hope somebody at Channel 4 HQ has their quickest finger poised over the "bleep" button.

Those hoping to make winners' speeches include Miranda Hart, who deservedly won best new TV comedy and best comedy actress last year.

She's up for a ­whopping four awards this time, including the people's choice gong, which is voted for by us.

But the category's a toughie this year, with the marvellous Jo Brand and Sarah Millican also hoping to steal the honours. In our eyes, they all deserve to win.

The male awards aren't any easier to predict, with David Mitchell, Graham Norton and Jack Whitehall fighting to be named the nation's favourite male ­comedian (although, given the year he's had, John Bishop should have been up).

While all the names we've mentioned deserve their nominations, there are some categories where you get the impression one or two shows are just in there to make up the numbers.

But as this is comedy night and we're in such a jolly mood, we won't be so cruel as to name them.

Host Sarah Millican, the mistress of girly self-deprecation, can't stand celebrity fitness DVDs. No, her ideal would be "Fat Lass Has a Go", followed up by "Fat Lass Tries Again".

Millican has fallen into that comfortable female-comedian nest where she pokes fun at her own perceived shortcomings before anyone else can, making the audience complicit in her cheery humiliation. But you let her get away with it. Possibly that's something to do with that deceptively soothing Geordie lilt, a terrific giggle and her charm.

She's funny, too; there are routines about a louche friend with an adventurous life ("To me, exciting is when you start a new tea towel"), her becoming an unlikely lust object on Twitter, and a boyfriend who can't buy decent presents. Elsewhere, Steve Hughes does little more than get the audience cheering along to the naffness of The X Factor, while Russell Kane lets us in on the poisonous reality of being a single man again.

Millican 1st woman comic to sell 100K DVDs in 10 years

Sarah Millican's "Chatterbox" has shifted 100,000 DVDs, making her the best-selling stand-up female comic of the last decade.

Now in their 21st year, the British Comedy Awards have long served as a bellwether for the state of British comedy, from the quirky satire of the early 1990s, through the energetic sketch shows of the mid- to late-90s, to the recent success of family-friendly stand-up comics like Peter Kay, Michael McIntyre and John Bishop. Thanks to a sharp host, a ready supply of funny clips and a suitably witty audience, they've also been one of the few live awards ceremonies actually worth watching.

Tonight's event is hosted live by Jonathan Ross. Leading the nominees is Miranda Hart, who is up for four awards, while Harry Hill gets three nods. Hart, last year's Queen of Comedy winner, is up for the award again, with David Mitchell, Telegraph agony uncle Graham Norton, Jack Whitehall, Jo Brand and Sarah Millican also in the running. Tamsin Greig and Tom Rosenthal are nominated for best TV comedy actress and best comedy breakthrough artist respectively for their roles in Friday Night Dinner, while Hugh Dennis and Claire Skinner have been singled out for their contribution to Outnumbered. Downton Abbey's Hugh Bonneville receives a nomination for his role in the Olympic comedy Twenty Twelve.

Jonathan Ross presides as comedians and TV producers drink themselves wretched and honk and bellow over each other's speeches. Probable attendees include last year's victor Miranda Hart, and this year's nominees for the public vote, Jack Whitehall, David Mitchell, Sarah Millican, Jo Brand and Graham Norton. But best of all, it's live. That combination of booze and live broadcast is really the only reason for this in the first place.

Infinitely more lovable than Jonathan Ross, a shiny-suited Norton welcomes another four guests to his boisterous Friday night chat show. Gavin and Stacey's James Corden will be insisting we take him seriously following the stellar run of One Man, Two Guvnors at the National. Expect a torrent of jokes as fellow comedian Sarah Millican and Bradley Cooper of The Hangover Part II will also be vying for attention on the red sofa, while rock star Lenny Kravitz performs.

Sarah Millican interview

Sarah Millican's brand new stand-up disc is now on sale, and she's been sparing us some time to talk about it...