CHARLOTTE CHURCH - COHEN, MERCHANT AND CHURCH WIN COMEDY AWARDS

COHEN, MERCHANT AND CHURCH WIN COMEDY AWARDS

Former soprano CHARLOTTE CHURCH and funnymen SACHA BARON COHEN and STEPHEN MERCHANT were among the winners at the British Comedy Awards in London last night (13DEC06). Cohen and his BORAT: CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN co-writers DAN MAZER, ANTHONY HINES and PETER BAYHNAM were honoured with the Writer's Guild Of Great Britain Award. Merchant beat his EXTRAS co-star RICKY GERVAIS to the Best TV Comedy Actor, while Church was named Best Female Comedy Newcomer for her Channel 4 programme THE CHARLOTTE CHURCH SHOW at the ceremony at the London Television Studios. Meanwhile WALLACE + GROMIT: THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT won Best Comedy Film and US TV show CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM was named Best International Comedy Show. Cult BBC show LITTLE BRITAIN picked up Top Stage Show for their recent UK tour, while STARTER FOR TEN actress CATHERINE TATE won the Best TV Comedy Actress.