'Housewives', 'CSI' win in Monte Carlo

The winners of this year's Golden Nymph awards were announced last night at the 48th Monte Carlo Television Festival.

Desperate Housewives won the international TV audience award - for shows which have notched up the most viewers worldwide - in the comedy category. With 61.5m viewers, the series beat other global hits Monk and Ugly Betty.

CSI: Las Vegas, apparently seen by 83.9m in 2007, triumphed over CSI: Miami and Ugly Betty.

Representing the Brits, Richard Ayoade (The IT Crowd) was named outstanding actor in a comedy series and Jonathan Rhys Meyers took the same award in the drama category for The Tudors.

In TV films, Channel 4's The Mark of Cain was named best film and Anna Madeley took the best actress title for Affinity.

Dick Wolf, the man behind Law & Order, was given an honourary Golden Nymph.