And now for your weekly Ross/Brand bulletin. The ripples of the affair look like to going on for another few months yet. Not only did Andrew Sachs steal the show as Manuel at Prince Charles' 60th birthday gig on Wednesday night, but news has leaked out of some of this year's British Comedy Awards nominations. And guess what. Ross has reportedly been shortlisted for Best Comedy Entertainment Programme while Brand has been nominated as Best Live Stand Up.

The show, which was not broadcast last year, has previously been famous for controversial live moments – Julian Clary's offhand Norman Lamont remark and Michael Barrymore going off-script – but will Ross and/or Brand turn up? And how embarrassing would it be if after all the calls for their sacking they walk away with prizes next month. If the judging panel really wanted to create a front page story to get the viewers watching they know who to give those gongs to.

Oh, and by the way, expect Graham Norton, Alan Carr and next year's big thing Michael McIntyre to collect prizes too.

Meanwhile we still wait to hear who will present the Awards following Ross's decision not to do the honours for the first time in the show's history. The smart money should be on someone who works regularly with ITV – Harry Hill or Al Murray. But the aforementioned Norton, Carr and McIntyre would also do a great job. Carr and McIntyre, incidentally, are managed by the same company as Jonathan Ross, which may or may not give them more chance of landing the gig.

Jimmy Carr could also be a contender if the organisers want to go for edgy one-liners. Or Mick Fleetwood and Samantha Fox is they really want to take a risk. Given recent issues, however, they may want to play it safe. I wonder if Phillip Schofield and Ferne Britton have a suitable window in their diaries?

UPDATE - OFFICIAL NOMINATIONS JUST IN AS FOLLOWS....

Best TV Comedy Actor of 2008
David Mitchell – Peep Show (Objective for Channel 4)
James Corden – Gavin & Stacey (Baby Cow for BBC Three)
Ricky Gervais – Extras: Christmas Special (BBC Comedy for BBC One)

Best TV Comedy Actress of 2008
Ashley Jensen – Extras: Christmas Special (BBC Comedy for BBC One)
Olivia Colman – Peep Show (Objective for Channel 4)
Sharon Horgan – Pulling (Silver River for BBC Three)

Best Comedy Entertainment Personality of 2008
Alan Carr – Friday Night Project/Sunday Night Project (Princess Productions for Channel 4)
Ant & Dec – I’m a Celebrity .. Get Me Out of Here/Saturday Night Takeaway/Britain’s Got Talent (ITV Productions for ITV1/ITV Productions & Gallowgate for ITV1/SYCO Television & TalkBack Thames for ITV1)
Graham Norton – The Graham Norton Show (So Television for BBC Two)
Harry Hill – Harry Hill’s TV Burp (Avalon Television for ITV1)

Best New British TV Comedy of 2008
The Kevin Bishop Show (Objective for Channel 4)
No Heroics (Tiger Aspect for ITV2)
The Inbetweeners (Bwark for E4)

Best TV Comedy of 2008
Benidorm (Tiger Aspect for ITV1)
Gavin & Stacey (Baby Cow for BBC Three)
Peep Show (Objective for Channel 4)

Best TV Comedy Drama of 2008
Drop Dead Gorgeous (Hat Trick for BBC Three)
Mutual Friends (Hat Trick for BBC One)
Skins (Company Pictures for E4)

Best Comedy Entertainment Programme of 2008
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross (Hotsauce TV for BBC One)
Harry Hill’s TV Burp (Avalon Television for ITV1)
The Sunday Night Project (Princess Productions for Channel 4)

Best Live Stand-Up Performer of 2008
Alan Carr
Michael McIntyre
Russell Brand

Best Male Comedy Newcomer of 2008
Dan Clark – How Not To Live Your Life (Brown Eyed Boy for BBC Three)
Simon Bird – The Inbetweeners (Bwark for E4)
Steve Edge – The Cup (Hartswood Films for BBC Two)

Best Female Comedy Newcomer of 2008
Anna Crilly – Lead Balloon (Open Mike for BBC Two)
Isy Suttie – Peep Show (Objective for Channel 4)
Katy Brand – Katy Brand’s Big Ass Show (World’s End for ITV2)

Best Comedy Panel Show of 2008
Have I Got News for You (Hat Trick for BBC One)
Never Mind the Buzzcocks (TalkBack Thames for BBC Two)
QI (TalkBack Thames for BBC Two)