Accolade for his trippy topical Radio 4 show

The Skewer, the topical Radio 4 audioscape masterminded by former Now Show regular Jon Holmes, has scooped a BBC award.

It was named best scripted comedy (sketch) at the BBC Audio Awards on Friday night.

Judges described the show as ‘a surreal flow of snippets - news and views, music and memories - melded into a huge orchestral piece of compelling originality’.

They added: ‘The Skewer is satire at its cleverest, both biting and beautiful. If you could listen to a Francis Bacon painting, this is what it would sound like.’

Best scripted comedy (longform) went to the BBC Radio Wales show The Musical Life of Boudicca

Written by Dan Kiss and Dave Cribb and starring  Mike Bubbins, Steph Siadatan, Garnon Davies, Amanda Wilkin, Tom Price and Abi Burdess, the series offered ‘mostly untrue’ re-telling of the stories of some of Wales’ most celebrated people through song.

Among other categories, David Threlfall was named best actor for his portrayal of Ken Dodd in  Happiness! in a show about his tax evasion trial.

The drama, directed by Gemma Jenkins, is being repeated on Radio 4 at 2.15pm this Wednesday, amid reports of an ITV drama about the same case, which resulted in Dodd’s acquittal.

Published: 26 Mar 2021