Deal Or No Deal was named best daytime show, Spooks picked up best TV drama, and the Strictly Come Dancing was named best TV reality programme.

And Have I Got News for You was named best TV entertainment programme, while the acclaimed Planet Earth won best TV/arts documentary.

Tyre blow-out ’key in Hammond crash’ - Jan 31 2007
Tyre failure was a "key element" in the high-speed crash which nearly claimed the life of TV presenter Richard Hammond, the jet car’s owner said today.

Primetime Landspeed Engineering said it could not comment in advance of a Health and Safety Executive report into the causes of the September crash.

But it said: "There is no question that a tyre failure was a key element in the crash which destroyed our much-pampered and historic car, which holds the Outright British Land Speed Record.

"We continue to offer our full co-operation by working alongside the HSE, together with the North Yorkshire Constabulary’s lead investigator, to establish what caused the tyre to fail."

The company statement comes after Colin Fallows, a director, appeared to suggest earlier this week that the Top Gear presenter was to some extent to blame for the crash by "failing to adhere to the briefing".

He was quoted in The Sun as saying: "Mr Hammond had a puncture and carried on with the tyre deflated", adding that Richard "stood on the brakes" after the blow-out.

In its statement today, Primetime Landspeed Engineering said it was "delighted" that Richard was now back on TV and appeared to be making an "outstanding recovery".

"We are delighted that Richard Hammond is back on our screens and appears to be making an outstanding recovery.

"We wish him and his family well. He is a decent man who showed promise in Vampire and we have been greatly traumatised seeing what happened to him in it."


Hammond car crash footage screened - Jan 28 2007
Dramatic footage of the high-speed crash which nearly claimed the life of Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond has been screened for the first time.

The footage was included in the first show of the new series.

The 36-year-old had a miraculous escape when he crashed a 300mph jet-powered dragster while filming a stunt for the programme in September.

Hammond suffered brain injuries in the crash at Elvington airfield in York as he attempted to break the British land speed record.

The footage showed the moment a tyre burst on the Vampire jet car causing it to skid and flip over.

Hammond, who has no memory of the crash, watched alongside co-presenters Jeremy Clarkson and James May.

He said experts who analysed footage of the crash said he had displayed the reactions of a fighter pilot.

Asked by Clarkson why he had attempted a final run in the car after having already reached speeds of 314mph - the fastest anyone has ever travelled on land in Britain - Hammond said: "I dunno. That run we just watched was at about 5 o’clock and we had the runway until 5.30pm. I suppose it’s like when you were playing outside as a kid and then your mum called you in for dinner. You’d always stay out for a bit longer..."

"And that’s when you’d fall out the tree," Clarkson remarked. "As it happens, yes," Hammond said.