'This Week' wins Plain English Campaign award

The BBC One political programme This Week, has been selected as the Best National Television Programme by the Plain English Campaign.

Presented by journalist Andrew Neil, former Conservative politician Michael Portillo and Labour MP Diane Abbott, the weekly show has been on air since 2003, and currently achieves an audience of 1.5 million late on Thursday evenings.

The Plain English Campaign said in its citation: "While reality television shows continue to flood the networks, This Week offers viewers a chance to watch lively political discussion at its best.

"Andrew Neil, Michael Portillo and Diane Abbott are incisive, informative and very often irreverent, yet the debating is enjoyable, accessible and easy to follow. There is an effective mix of political and celebrity guests, and the 'alternative' video reports of the week's news are very amusing."

In March, the show won Best Programme in the the Hansard Society/Channel 4 Political awards.

Jamie Donald, editor, This Week said: "I'm delighted that a programme on late at night and covering such an unfashionable subject has been honoured in this way. It's a tribute to the talent of the production team and to the appeal of the presenting trio of Andrew, Michael and Diane that the programme now has two awards under its belt this year and an audience which is still growing year on year on BBC One."