Britain's Got Talent - Ant and Dec to return award
Saturday, 10 May 2008
Ant and Dec will return their 2005 People's Choice British Comedy Award to Catherine Tate after it was discovered the result was rigged.
The presenting duo - who won the award for their gameshow 'Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway' - will give up the trophy after it was discovered they only won because presenter Robbie Williams refused to hand the award to anyone else.
Williams is close friends with the pair, with who he regularly plays football in Los Angeles.
It has now been revealed in a report by legal firm Olswang that comedy show 'The Catherine Tate Show' was the actual winner of the award.
During the first part of the ceremony, which was broadcast live, 'The Catherine Tate Show' received the most telephone votes. However, Ant and Dec were then announced as the winners to the live audience while the ceremony was off air for the 'ITN News'.
In the second half of the programme, shown "as live", viewers were encouraged to continue voting even though the award had already been handed over.
Ant and Dec are said to be "completely appalled" by the revelations, and there is no suggestion that either they or Williams had any knowledge of the deception.
The news emerged as ITV was fined a record £5.7 million yesterday (08.05.08) by TV regulator Ofcom for repeatedly misleading viewers over the conduct of phone-ins on 'Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway', 'Ant and Dec's Gameshow Marathon' and 'Soapstar Superstar'.
ITV have agreed to pay compensation to viewers, who made calls worth £7.8 million to the three programmes involved.
(C) BANG Media International
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