Ross lands Bafta nomination

Jonathan Ross was today nominated for a Bafta television award for his controversial chat show.

The 48-year-old, who was taken off the airwaves for 12 weeks last year for his part in the Andrew Sachs radio phone-in scandal, was named in the entertainment performance category.

Biographical drama 'Hancock and Joan', about the final year of troubled comedian Tony Hancock’s life, received three nominations, including Ken Stott for best actor.

June Brown, who plays Dot Cotton in 'EastEnders', was nominated for best actress for her ground-breaking solo episode of the soap - her first Bafta nomination.

It comes nearly half a century after she made her television debut in 1960 and more than 20 years since the last soap actress earned a best actress nomination.

Coronation Street’s Jean Alexander, who played Hilda Ogden, was named in the category in 1987.

Also up for best actress are Anna Maxwell Martin for 'Poppy Shakespeare', Maxine Peake for 'Hancock and Joan' and Andrea Riseborough for 'Margaret Thatcher: The Long Walk To Finchley'.

In the entertainment performance category, Ross’ 'Friday Night With Jonathan Ross' show is up against Stephen Fry for 'QI', Harry Hill for 'Harry Hill’s TV Burp', and Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly for 'I’m A Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here'.

Dramas based on real people and events feature strongly in the nominations, with all but one of the Best Actor and Best Single Drama nods going to real-life stories.

Joining Stott on the best actor list are Stephen Dillane for 'The Shooting Of Thomas Hurndall', Jason Isaacs for 'The Curse Of Steptoe' and Ben Whishaw for 'Criminal Justice'.

'Hancock And Joan' is vying with 'Einstein And Eddington', 'The Shooting Of Thomas Hurndall' and 'White Girl' for the Single Drama award.

There are two nominations each for Stephen Fry, Ross Kemp and comedian David Mitchell, while Kenneth Branagh receives his sixth film and television Bafta nod for his work as producer on atmospheric detective series 'Wallander'.

'Coronation Street' misses out on a continuing drama nomination for the second year in a row, the nods going instead to 'The Bill', 'Casualty', 'EastEnders' and 'Emmerdale'.

The awards ceremony, hosted by Graham Norton and broadcast on BBC One, will be held at the Royal Festival Hall – the first time the venue has been used for the show – on April 26.

Competition will be fierce in the features category as Jeremy Clarkson goes head to head with Alan Sugar with 'Top Gear' and 'The Apprentice' both nominated, alongside 'The Choir: Boys Don't Sing' - the sequel to Bafta-winner 'The Choir' - and first time-nominee 'Celebrity MasterChef'.

The BBC earns two nominations in the sport category – for its Olympics coverage and for Rafael Nadal’s epic five-set victory in the Wimbledon men’s singles final, the second year in a row that the men’s final has been nominated for a Bafta.

Completing the sport nominations are Channel 4’s Cheltenham Gold Cup coverage and ITV’s Formula One Brazilian Grand Prix, which saw Lewis Hamilton secure the drivers’ world championship in thrilling style.

Nominations for the audience award for programme of the year – the only gong voted on by the public – will be announced soon.