Caroline Aherne: Shouted "get on with it"

The occasion did not pass off without controversy as Royle Family writer Caroline Aherne heckled Sir Nigel Hawthorne as he accepted a lifetime achievement award on behalf of Alan Bennett.

Ms Aherne is understood to have shouted "get on with it" during Sir Nigel's speech.

He stopped his speech and replied: "Would you like to do this yourself madam? I'm not speaking for myself you understand."

The show's host, Jonathan Ross, apologised to Sir Nigel. "Not all of us can handle the drink my friend, although normally she can," he said.

After the award ceremony Sir Nigel said he had been "horrified" by the heckling.

Aherne is known to have been fighting a drink problem.

Veteran comedienne Victoria Wood picked up two of the prestigious awards.

Ms Wood won the writer of the year award while her comedy Dinnerladies won the best comedy category.

Sue Johnston from the BBC One sitcom, The Royle Family, won best television comedy actress and Cork-born Graham Norton was named best TV comedy personality.

Sue Johnston is the latest Royle to get an award

Receiving her award she paid tribute to Caroline Aherne for showing "such remarkable talent".

She said she had never considered herself to be a comedy actress, and so the award was all the more amazing.

"I have made people cry most of my career, to be nominated against Victoria Wood and Cathy Burke and to win is just amazing," she said.