Suspended Ross up for comedy gong

TV presenter Jonathan Ross has been nominated for a British Comedy Award, despite pulling out of hosting the December ceremony.

Ross, up for best comedy show, decided not to present the ITV1-screened event, after the BBC suspended him for making lewd calls to Andrew Sachs.

Russell Brand, who resigned from his Radio 2 job after broadcasting the calls on air, is also nominated.

The 33-year-old has been shortlisted for best live stand-up.

Radio scandal

Ross, 47, received his nomination for his Friday night chat show, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross.

The long-running BBC One series is currently off-air as part of the presenter's three-month suspension.

Thousands of people complained after Brand and Ross left a series of messages on Sachs's answering machine, boasting that Brand had slept with the 78-year-old actor's granddaughter.

As well as Brand, two BBC executives also resigned from their jobs following the scandal.

Ross's show will be up against ITV1's Harry Hill's TV Burp and C4's The Sunday Night Project in its category.

Alan Carr and Russell Brand will compete in the best stand-up category

Brand, who is currently on tour in the US, will compete with Alan Carr and Michael McIntyre in his category.

Other nominees include cult BBC comedy Gavin and Stacey, which is up for two awards, including best TV comedy of 2008.

James Corden, who co-created the series as well as starring in it, is nominated for best comedy actor.

Ricky Gervais, who has starred in his TV series Extras and the movie Ghost Town in the past 12 months, will compete in the same category, vying with Peep Show star David Mitchell.

Best TV comedy actress nominees include Extras star Ashley Jensen and the Peep Show's Olivia Colman.

Ant and Dec, Graham Norton, Harry Hill and Sunday Night Project star Alan Carr will compete for best comedy entertainment personality.

A new host for the awards has yet to be announced.

The awards will be broadcast live on ITV1 on Saturday 6 December.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/