Ant and Dec in line for People's Choice award

ANT and Dec could scoop the People's Choice award at this year's British Comedy Awards - six years after they were given it by mistake.

The pair, below, are nominated along with Michael McIntyre, Harry Hill, Miranda Hart and David Mitchell for the People's Choice Award for the King or Queen of Comedy, with the winner being chosen by a phone vote.

In 2005, Ant and Dec were given the People's Choice Award despite being beaten in the voting by Catherine Tate. A report into ITV's use of premium rate phone lines found awards organisers promised Robbie Williams he could present a gong to Ant and Dec to guarantee his attendance.

The only award the pair could win was the People's Choice Award, which should have been dependent on a public vote.

Ant and Dec later returned the award when the truth was revealed, and they legitimately won it in 2006.

This year's awards sees the first ever nomination for a children's comedy show, with CBBC's Horrible Histories nominated in the Sketch Show category.

Hart and Hill lead the pack with four nominations each, while Sarah Millican is nominated for the Best Female Comic and Best Female Comedy Breakthrough Artist awards.

The award ceremony is being held in London on 22 January.