Ken Dodd has officially been crowned a Legend of Comedy tonight at an awards ceremony celebrating the success of Dave’s Leicester Comedy Festival 2014.

The annual award, which is voted for by readers of the Leicester Mercury newspaper as well as audiences at the festival, was won last year by Norman Wisdom OBE. 2013’s competition was restricted to comedians who had performed at Dave’s Leicester Comedy Festival in the past two decades. This year, to mark the festival’s 21 year anniversary, the search was opened up to include any comedian, alive or dead. 

Readers voted for Dodd (pictured with Arthur Smith and Festival Director Geoff Rowe, picture by Scott Choucino) as their ultimate comedy legend from a shortlist comprising Jasper Carrott, Lenny Henry, Nicholas Parsons, Jennifer Saunders and Victoria Wood.  

Dodd, 86, who collected his award in person said it was “amazing, wonderful and plumptious” to be voted the winner from a list of such “fabulous funny people and good friends.”

Geoff Rowe, founder and Director of Dave’s Leicester Comedy Festival said “It’s great to have an opportunity to recognise the enormous contribution Ken Dodd has made to the UK comedy scene over the past 60 years.  We were delighted to welcome him to the ceremony, as our special guest, and present him with the award.”