To paraphrase Her Maj, this year has been an ‘annus horribilis’, to the point where I debated skipping the 2020 awards in the forlorn hope that 2021 will be markedly better than its predecessor.

Still, from disaster must come some positivity, and the barrel has been scraped in order to bring to you the annual Brett Ellis column awards for 2020:

Car crash interview of the year award: Prince Andrew, who proves that entitlement is no defence for not choosing your friends wisely.

The can't do any worse than your predecessor award: Kier Starmer who continues to prove that an absence of charisma is no block to career trajectory.

Frank Spencer Award for blue riband global cock ups: The Chinese government.

The hide your head in the sand and remain silent award: The Chinese government and WHO

The have one’s cake and eat it award: Prince Harry, who has managed to fully embrace his victim complex from sunnier climes.

The bright light in a storm award: Captain Tom who, with little expectation, showed grit and determination, to walk into the history books and claimed an unexpected number 1 after raising £32 million for those less fortunate.

St Albans & Harpenden Review: Captain Tom Moore will be given a knighthood. Photo: PACaptain Tom Moore will be given a knighthood. Photo: PA

Captain Tom. Photo: PA

The please sir, can I have some more award: Marcus Rashford, who not only took on the Government in what was a PR catastrophe for them, but remained dignified and stoic throughout, proving that the quiet man is often the noisiest in the room.

The Vicky Pollard yeah but, no but, yeah but award: dual recipients this year: Bojo and Matt Lucas. Our leader's comedy skit will be viewed in the future along the lines of Micky Flanagan’s out-out routine as he urged us to go to work as we stayed at home and not to go out unless we were going out but to stay in whilst we were out.

Good riddance award: Jeremy Corbyn, whose stock sunk lower than a black Monday crash as he was ousted as opposition leader and suspended from the party while denying antisemitism.

The Yes man award: Culture minister Oliver Dowden: The self-proclaimed defender of the green belt remained silent over local government plans to desecrate the green belt.

Housewives' favourite award: You know it’s a low when the highlight of the day is attempting 20 lunges in your front room at 9am to this year’s recipient: Joe Wicks.

Presenter of the year: Sophy Ridge. Proving that behind the butter wouldn’t melt exterior, there lies a journalistic rottweiler. Ms Ridge ripped seasoned politicians’ limb from limb to take her mantle as the 20s' Paxman.

The anti Trip Advisor personality of the year: Dominic Cummings who did for Durham what nuclear power did for Chernobyl.

Political figure you feel you should fancy but you don’t really: Following in the footsteps of Sam Cam, this year has been Dishy Rishi Sunak’s time to shine.

The drugs don’t work award: Bojo, who struggled to come to terms with Covid.

The drugs do work award: Trump who, despite having the physique of a 70s darts player, caught and recovered from Covid in record time.

It should have happened years ago award: Argos, which finally dispensed with its catalogue after half a century, in June.

Gone but not forgotten special mention: Derek Acorah, who didn’t see that coming, Dave Prowse, who went over to the light side, Diego Maradona, a true legend, now touched by the hand of god, Terry Jones, who wasn’t such a silly boy after all, Nicholas Parsons, who lasted for more than just a minute, Caroline Flack, Eddie Large, Peter ‘The Cat’ Bonetti, Norman ‘bite yer legs’ Hunter, Old Willie Thorne, whose hairs all gone, Dame Vera, Peter Green, Alan Minter, Terence Conran, Bobby Ball, Nobby Stiles and the Bond of Bonds, Sean Connery.

In music: little of note. Sam Smith’s career started to bomb after their latest album only shifted a quarter of the previous one. Again, Covid was given as the reason, but having heard it, I would surmise it bombed as it was dire.

Adele became half the woman she used to be and faced the ire of those who publicly urge us all to #bekind while simultaneously sitting in a darkened room spewing venom and fury online on anyone who dared to embrace change.

The possible GOAT (greatest of all time) award: Lewis Hamilton, who continues to divide opinion as he roared into the F1 record books.

And yet, so it comes to pass: In a time of little of note, the year equivalent of Fox and Fleetwood presenting the Brits or Trump thinking a thesaurus is a book on dinosaurs of the cretaceous period, there has to be a winner: I can't look much further than Captain Tom who, in our hour of darkness, gave us a little light through the medium of his garden, a battered Zimmer frame and an indomitable spirit.

Well done Sir, when called upon, you showed the stoicism and backbone that your country was once famed for but is now found wanting, as we blunder into 2021 with the confidence that it can't be any worse than the year before…can it?