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Monday, 12th May 2008

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Ant and Dec hand back ITV comedy award



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Superstars Ant and Dec yesterday handed back an award and ITV were hit with a record £5.67m fine after details of a massive TV phone-in scam were made public.

Sources close to the duo said they were "completely appalled" and they would be sending their award back to ITV.

A report into 2005's British Comedy Awards, published for the first time yesterday, revealed organisers promised pop star Robbie Willi
ams he could present Ant and Dec with an award if he appeared.

The report also said the actual winner should have been The Catherine Tate Show.

Although the investigation did not find evidence to suggest the award was wrongly given to Ant and Dec to please the pop star, it was revealed viewers of the ITV show were asked to keep voting on premium rate lines even though the duo had already been filmed winning the People's Choice Award.

Last night Catherine Tate's agent said the comedienne would not be making a comment at this stage.

The report says: "Robbie Williams was invited. It was understood he would be happy to present an award if the recipients were Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly.

"In order to ensure his attendance, this assurance was given, albeit at a time when the winners of all the jury awards had been decided.

It adds: "While it can be concluded the assurance was given to ensure Robbie Williams's attendance to present an award, it cannot be concluded that this was the reason why the wrong winner of the People's Choice Award was announced."

The report states there is no suggestion that Williams or Ant and Dec were aware of "any of these issues".

The report came as Ofcom slapped a record £5.67m penalty on ITV for a spate of premium rate phone-in scandals concerning Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, Ant and Dec's Gameshow Marathon, and Soapstar Superstar.

Ofcom accused the broadcaster of "institutional failure" and said the fine reflected "not only the seriousness of ITV's failures but also their repeated nature".



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  • Last Updated: 09 May 2008 9:20 AM
  • Source: n/a
  • Location: Yorkshire
 
 

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