The Chortle awards were taking place as I slept. I hadn't even considered waiting up til 1 or 2 o clock in order to follow events live on Twitter. I was almost entirely sure that there was no way AIOTM
would be able to defeat the mighty Alan Partridge, though I knew the nerd army had been mobilised and that Twitter had spread the news of the public vote, so there was an outside chance. I had thought about emailing producer Ben a short comment to read out if we did somehow triumph - and got as far as "Eat my goal, Partridge!" or saying that this proved I was best than Steve Coogan, but then I thought, "What's the point? It won't win," and didn't bother.
I half woke up in the night a couple of times and a part of me wanted to check Twitter, but I sensibly decided that the bad news would only aggrevate me and stop me sleeping so I left it. As you know, I never win anything. That's my schtick.
I woke up a bit early though, like it was Christmas morning, the little voice that had wanted me to check earlier had clearly managed to make enough noise to wake me. I steeled myself and looked at Twitter to find my feed already flooded with messages of congratulations. Somehow we had done it. Our stupid, sweary, independent podcast produced with a budget of zero pounds had defeated the might of the corporately sponsored videos starring a big movie star which had cost tens of thousands of pounds to produce. What an unbelievable result. Although I am on an expensive holiday in the Maldives, it still somehow felt like a victory for the little man and for you the army of nerds who voted for us by hook and I suspect by crook. It shows that you can come up with an idea and put it together yourself and run with it and build up a following person by person. This is a testament to you all and the support you have given me over the years. But I get to keep the award.
Because finally after only 22 years in the business I had won an actual award that I could hold in my hand. I had been texted pictures of Ben and Christian holding the thing. It was real. Or a very elaborate hoax. It is also my first (though some might say easiest) step to achieving my COBNOB, although I had hoped to get the Oscar before the Chortle award.
I felt a slight pang of disappointment that I hadn't been there to pick it up in person and celebrate, before I remembered where I was and how brilliant it is here. And I can at least say that I have never accepted an award in person (apart from one of Stewart Lee's many Chortle awards)!
Of course in the bigger picture none of this matters, but it is cool to be starting to get some recognition and to get an indication that the hard work and sweat and tears are paying off. I now have as many Chortle awards as Michael Legge which I think shows you exactly where I stand on the comedy ladder.
There is a third series of As It Occurs To Me starting in May and you can get details of how to buy earlybird reduced price tickets here. And a few of the tour dates for Christ on a Bike are selling out now (I think Cardiff may be full now) so don't leave that until the last minute. I am an award winning comedian now.
And I should also give hearty congratulations and thanks to Emma, Dan, Christian, Ben and Orange Mark without whom this would really have been a disaster and to everyone who has oiled the wheels and got this stupid project rolling. And thanks for listening and voting. Keep spreading the word to your friends. We will build this comedy empire brick by brick.
