Dinosaurs walk off with award

Monster success: The BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs

The BBC's groundbreaking series Walking with Dinosaurs has won the best documentary accolade at this year's Television and Radio Industries Club (Tric) Awards.

The critically-acclaimed six-part series was a ratings winner when it was shown last autumn, peaking at 18 million viewers.

Mum-to-be Emma Noble arrives at Grosvenor House

Other BBC successes at the annual event, held at London's Grosvenor House Hotel, included one of the stars of Ground Force, TV gardener Charlie Dimmock, who was named new talent of the year:

The BBC's round-the-clock news service, News 24 confounded its critics when it picked up the award for satellite/digital TV channel of the year.

A delighted Roger Mosey, head of television news, said: "Plenty of people have criticised BBC News 24 since its launch and we always suspected that most of them had never watched it."

Presenter Gavin Esler added: "It's exceptionally good news for News 24. The first three months were the hardest three months of my life. We initially had three computer systems, none of which could understand each other."

He said that the critics had been right but the channel had now changed for the better.

Top radio personality: Zoe Ball

Zoe Ball won the trophy for radio personality of the year - just days after her departure from Radio 1's flagship breakfast show. Jonathan Ross's Radio 2 show was named radio programme of the year:

The special award for outstanding contribution to broadcasting was presented to Blind Date and Surprise Surprise star Cilla Black.

Guests gave her a standing ovation as she made her first public appearance since the death of her husband Bobby last year.

She said: "Thank you, you're ever so kind. You realise you're getting on a bit when there's no other nominations in your category.

"This is a lovely, lovely award. I would like to say a very special thank you to London Weekend Television who have really been my family for 15, nearly 16 years.

Cilla Black with her son Robert and her award

"They have been my family especially during the last few months. I would like to pay a special tribute to my son Robert who is here today because he has followed in the footsteps of my husband Bobby, who was a hard act to follow."

Choking back tears, she added: "He's now my manager, my agent and my new best friend."

ITV's other Tric successes included awards for Chris Tarrant's Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, which was named TV entertainment programme of the year.

Alan Bleasdale's new adaptation of the Dickens classic Oliver Twist was won TV drama programme of the year, while Cold Feet beat acclaimed BBC One sitcom The Royle Family to scoop the prize for TV comedy programme of the year.

Cold Feet star Helen Baxendale, who also played sleuth Cordelia Gray in ITV's An Unsuitable Job for a Woman, was named drama TV performer of the year.

Robert Linsday as Fagin in Oliver Twist

ITV's Better Homes presenter Carol Vorderman beat Gimme Gimme Gimme star Kathy Burke, Gaby Roslin and Johnny Vaughan in the TV personality of the year category.

The awards, voted by members of Tric, recognise high-profile achievers from both terrestrial and satellite broadcasting.

Tric award winners

Satellite/Digital TV Personality of the Year: Liza Tarbuck

Radio/Digital Radio Personality of the Year: Zoe Ball

Drama TV Performer of the Year: Helen Baxendale

TV Personality of the Year: Carol Vorderman

Sports Presenter/Reporter of the Year: Gabby Yorath

Newscaster/Reporter of the Year: Dermot Murnaghan

New Talent of the Year: Charlie Dimmock

TV Music and Arts Programme of the Year: The South Bank Show

Satellite/Digital TV Channel of the Year: BBC News 24

Radio/Digital Radio Programme of the Year: Jonathan Ross

Documentary Programme of the Year: Walking with Dinosaurs


TV Comedy Programme of the Year: Cold Feet

TV Drama Programme of the Year: Oliver Twist

TV Morning/Daytime Programme of the Year: GMTV

TV Entertainment Programme of the Year: Who Wants to be a Millionaire?