A tight 5: February 6

CHARLIE Phillips, a TV comedy editor whose credits include Psychoville, Him and Her and Man Down, has died in his mid-fifties. Reece Shearsmith paid tribute on Twitter saying: ‘RIP Charlie Philips - our amazing editor of Psychoville; BAFTA for his work on Sherlock and one of the loveliest people I've known.’ His other credits included Saxondale, Shooting Stars, Rev, Dr Terrible’s House of Horrible, and This Is Jinsy.

CINCINNATI comedy promoter Forest Thomer has been awarded $25,000 by the city over his 2012 arrest. He had been approaching people asking if they wanted to 'laugh at the crippled girl' - then pointing to Ally Bruener, a comedian who is in a wheelchair because of her muscular dystrophy. She then told them a joke and said where she would be performing. Thomer sued the city alleging violation of free speech. Initially, prosecutors had accused Thomer of 'making grossly abusive language’.

STAND-UP Bennett Arron has published his first novel, on Kindle. The Girl From The Discotheque is about a talent agent in his late 30s obsessed with a girl he bumped into more than 20 years ago. The book - which has endorsements from Ricky Gervais, David Baddiel and Jimmy Carr - is available here

THE executive producer of Jack Whitehall's Backchat has set up his own production house. Ben Cavey has left his job as head of comedy and entertainment for Tiger Aspect to establish Cave Bear Productions, which will focus on scripted comedy. The new company will still be part of the Tiger Aspect group.

ALEX NORRIS has been appointed creative director of Comedy Central. The press release says he has been 'tasked with developing and implementing a clear creative vision and strategy… generating communication that pushes the channel's brand and key values'. He previously 'produced successful comedy creative' for Red Bee Media. We think all this means he makes ads.

Published: 6 Feb 2015