Perhaps his greatest claim to fame came in 1993 when he called for the end to the union block vote and was credited with saving the then Labour leader John Smith from a humiliating defeat.

BBC: The John Prescott story

The most hotly contested category at the 2013 awards was for best actress in a play, where just 0.9% of the public vote separated winner Sheridan Smith (Hedda Gabler) from runner-up Billie Piper (The Effect).

BBC: Sheridan Smith and Rupert Everett shine at theatre awards