Comedian and satirist Armando Iannucci awarded honorary degree

The comedian, satirist and writer Armando Iannucci has been awarded an honorary degree at the University of Glasgow. The Glasgow-born writer, producer and director, best-known for his work on the BBC comedy shows On the Hour, The Thick of It and I'm Alan Partridge, was made a Doctor of Letters at a ceremony on 28 June in the University's Bute Hall. Iannucci's comedy writing has won him many plaudits and fans, as well as a host of awards including three British Comedy Awards and two Sony Radio Awards. He began his career on BBC Radio Scotland and Radio 4 before moving to television where he wrote comedy shows such as The Day Today; Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge; and Time Trumpet. He transferred the show The Thick of It to the big screen with the 2009 film In the Loop, which he directed, and is currently working on a political satire for US channel HBO. Professor Graham Caie, Clerk of Senate and Vice Principal of the University of Glasgow, said: 'Armando's comedy writing is wonderfully witty, his satire supremely scathing. He has delivered several very memorable characters into the public's affection ' including Alan Partridge and Malcolm Tucker.