Chewin' the Fat star elected rector

Greg Hemphill (left) is the new rector

The TV comedian Greg Hemphill has been elected the new rector of the University of Glasgow.

The star of BBC Scotland's Chewin' the Fat programme replaces the actor Ross Kemp, who resigned from the post last year.

He will be installed as rector at a ceremony in the spring but holds office with immediate effect for three years.

Mr Hemphill, Ford Kiernan and Karen Dunbar have become the stars of one of BBC Scotland's most successful programmes, with the catchphrase 'Gonnae no dae that', helping to make it an instant hit.

The star won a run-off against author Alasdair Gray for the post as Ms Dunbar trailed in as the last of the four candidates.

Karen Dunbar was unable to secure victory

Glasgow musician Stuart Murdoch, of Brit Award-winning band Belle and Sebastian, was the fourth runner in a contest decided by single transferable vote over three rounds.

Mr Hemphill won each round of the ballot, but in the end there were just 101 of the 2,200 votes cast separating him from Mr Gray.

Mr Hemphill polled 1,127 votes, while Mr Gray accrued 1,026.

Ms Dunbar had 'Equality, diversity and opportunity' as her campaign slogan, but lost out to her co-star.

Ross Kemp resigned from the post last year after the executive of the students' representative council passed a motion of no confidence in him.

'Work pressures'

The actor failed to attend campus engagements, with the final straw coming when he missed the annual freshers' address in October, at which he was due to welcome the new intake of students.

It was the second year in a row that the actor, who cited "work pressures" for his non-attendance, had missed one of the most important dates in the rector's calendar.

The rector is the senior representative for the university's 17,000 students and chairs the University Court, the governing body for the whole university.

Former rectors at the university include actor Richard Wilson, television presenter Johnny Ball and South African political activist Winnie Mandela.