The British Comedy Awards will take place for 2011 in December, it has been confirmed. Jonathan Ross will also return as host.

Following a number of controversies, the Awards - which had since their inception been broadcast on ITV - moved to Channel 4 in 2010, and the ceremony moved from early December to mid-January (thus the 2010 event was held in early 2011).

Due to the complexities and time involved in the nomination and voting systems, any comedy broadcast from September to December was essentially 'lost' from elligibility during the ITV years, and the move was intended - in part - to rectify that.

However, Channel 4 has now announced that the 2011 Awards will be broadcast in December, but are refraining from commenting about any further arrangements.

As in January, it is expected that the December event will be broadcast live from London's indigO₂ venue, at the former Millennium Dome in Greenwich.

For 2010, The Inbetweeners won Best Sitcom, and Roy Clarke, writer of Last Of The Summer Wine, Keeping Up Appearances and Open All Hours amongst many others, picked up a Lifetime Achievement Award. However, Miranda Hart was undoubtedly the winner of the night, earning Best New British Television Comedy, Best TV Comedy Actress and The People's Choice Award, the only award voted for by the public.