Three Irish comics, including a writer and star of the BBC3 show Pulling, have been nominated for the prestigious British Comedy Awards.
Sharon Horgan has made the shortlist for best female comedy newcomer for her work on Pullingand Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive, it was announced yesterday.
Horgan, who was described by the Observernewspaper earlier this year as "the funniest woman you've never heard of", is the sister of Irish rugby international Shane Horgan.
She left Ireland while in her 20s to work in London, where her profile has been growing steadily since she won the BBC new comedy award for sketch writing in 2001.
Television veteran Graham Norton has been nominated for best new comedy entertainment for The Graham Norton Show, while Dara O'Briain has made the shortlist for best live stand-up.
There have been no nominations for Ant and Dec, whose victory in 2005's people's choice section of the comedy awards prompted an internal investigation, and has jeopardised the broadcast of this year's ceremony.
The investigation is into alleged phone-vote rigging in the 2005 show.
Regular broadcaster ITV has suspended its involvement with the show, now in its 18th year, until the results of the investigation are known.