Olivia Colman has been nominated twice in the same category for the upcoming British Comedy Awards. The 39-year-old, perhaps best known for playing Sophie on Peep Show, is up for Best Actress for two BBC shows, Rev and Twenty Twelve.

The decision has left some comedy fans bemused, though the general consensus is that Colman has put in two excellent performances and therefore has every right to be nominated twice. She played Hugh Bonneville's character's long-suffering assistant Sally Owen in the London Olympics comedy and plays Tom Hollander's wife Alex Smallbone on religious comedy Rev. Though having two chances to win the award, Colman still faces stiff competition to land the gong, with Twenty Twelve co-star Jessica Hynes also nominated. The Thick Of It's Rebecca Front, who plays the MP Nicola Murray, is also up for Best Actress. Colman - now considered one of the UK's top actresses - has already had a superb year, winning a slew of awards for playing an abused charity shop worker in Paddy Considine's gritty drama Tyrannosaur. 

Elsewhere at the comedy awards, The Thick Of It is one of five shows to receive three nominations, along with The Graham Norton Show, Rev, Cardinal Burns and Harry Hill's TV Burp. Steve Coogan picked up a couple of nominations for Alan Partridge: Welcome To Places In My Life. This year's King or Queen of Comedy will be contested by Alan Carr, David Mitchell, Graham Norton, Jack Whitehall, Lee Mack and Sarah Millican. The award winners will be announced live on Channel 4 on Wednesday 12 December.

Watch Olivia Colman in Rev below: