GAZETTE & HERALD: Actor Derek Fowlds, one of the stars of the 1980s comedy Yes Minister, is delighted that the show was named sixth best British sitcom.

Mr Fowlds, who lives in Colerne, said he was impressed that the show received 123,000 votes from the public in the BBC2 competition.

However he was disappointed with the finale, which counted down the top ten on Saturday night, live at the BBC television centre.

"It was not the big gala event I thought it would be," he said. "I thought it would be like an awards ceremony like the Bafta's but it was nothing like that."

The political satire Yes Minister starred the late Nigel Hawthorne, the late Paul Eddington and Mr Fowlds, as a trio working in Government.

"I thought it was amazing that 123,000 people voted for it. It is more of a cult show," said Mr Fowlds.

The top British Sitcom was Only Fools and Horses, as predicted by Mr Fowlds. Blackadder came second and The Vicar of Dibley was third.

"I was surprised at the Vicar of Dibley I thought it would be first out," said Mr Fowlds, who is currently in Yorkshire filming Heartbeat. "I was surprised that Fawlty Towers didn't do better either."

Mr Fowlds travelled to London after an evening shoot on the Yorkshire Moors to be part the Best Sitcom finale programme. He was expecting to be sitting in a celebrity audience made up of cast members of all of the comedies, but he was disappointed.

"I was sat in the green room with Diana Hoddinott, who played the minister's wife, and with Paul Eddington's wife Trish. We realised there was no-one else there except the public. The producers did not tell me we were the only ones who had accepted the invitation.

"If I had known I wouldn't have gone because I was looking forward to seeing some old friends. But the three of us still had fun and it was lovely to see them."