Derry Girls crowned Radio Times Comedy Champion 2018… but only just

Right gals won

It's been emotional, as public vote polls often are. Lisa McGee's beloved Channel 4 comedy Derry Girls made it all the way to the Radio Times Comedy Champion 2018 Final following a committed campaign to win the whole damn thing. And win the whole damn thing they did on Tuesday night, having gone up against cult BBC favourite Inside No. 9. With minutes to go, it looked like it was curtains for the Girls, but in the end, somehow, some way, they took home the title of Comedy Champion by a whopping point one percent of the vote. Yep, the final tally has Derry Girls at 50.1% to Inside No. 9's 49.9%. It really doesn't get any closer than that. It's a seriously impressive result given the pedigree of the opponent, with Inside No. 9 boasting rich previous form in competitions like these. The show was voted "Best TV Comedy Drama" in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017, and was named "Comedy of the Year" in 2017. And yet, a certain debut offering from up north walloped it. By point one percent. Massive congratulations to cast and crew, who have been rightly bowed over in the face of the stunning upset: https://twitter.com/SaoirseJackson/status/1024403509335212039 Show creator Lisa McGee rather summed things up perfectly: https://twitter.com/LisaMMcGee/status/1024405541844643840 While Nicola Coughlan broke out the CAPITAL LETTERS accordingly: https://twitter.com/nicolacoughlan/status/1024400216257167366 Sister Michael herself weighed in on the glorious achievement: https://twitter.com/siobhni/status/1024401337914671105 As did wee James... https://twitter.com/Djllewellyn/status/1024402296665526277 And Michelle: https://twitter.com/JamieLeeOD/status/1024404801424162816 Having previously pledged our official vote, we'd like to take this opportunity to walk along the high road and note that everyone involved are winners, from first-round no-hopers to those contesting this tightest of final battles. But yeah, Derry Girls won. They crushed you, Inside No. 9. Sickened.