Have you heard the one about the comedian competing against herself? Double Comedy Awards nod for Olivia Colman

Olivia Colman is competing against herself in the Comedy Awards (Getty Images)

There is double delight for Olivia Colman after she was nominated twice in the same category in the British Comedy Awards.

The actress is recognised for her roles in Olympic satire Twenty Twelve and the sitcom Rev.

She is joined in the Best TV Comedy Actress category by Rebecca Front from The Thick Of It and her Twenty Twelve co-star, Jessica Hynes, who played dim-witted PR guru Siobhan Sharpe in the show.

Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville gets a nod in the Best TV Comedy Actor category for his Twenty Twelve role, along with Tom Hollander for Rev and Peter Capaldi for The Thick Of It.

Steve Coogan's comeback as Alan Partridge is also recognised.

The award for Best Sitcom will see The Thick Of It fight it out with Rev, Twenty Twelve and Julia Davis's show Hunderby.

Chat show hosts Alan Carr and Graham Norton are both nominated for Best Comedy Entertainment Programme along with Celebrity Juice and Harry Hill's TV Burp.

The viewing public will be asked to vote for the King or Queen of Comedy with Carr, Norton, David Mitchell, Jack Whitehall, Lee Mack and Sarah Millican in the running.

The show, sponsored by Foster's, is hosted by Jonathan Ross on Channel 4 next Wednesday.

PA