Mel Brooks is now an ultra-rare PEGOT winner

He was presented with the honour by his fellow comedy veteran Billy Crystal, 76, who said at the ceremony at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angels that Mel's "fearless genius and boundary-pushing humour" have been his "guiding light" in showbusiness "since day one".

Billy went on: "Mel is a genius who believes that comedy should push boundaries, challenge societal taboos and yes, be a little vulgar when the mood calls for it.

"And with Mel, the mood often calls for it. Mel is one of the big reasons that I have a life in comedy.

Dad-of-four Mel said about being only the world's fourth PEGOT winner: "It's a big deal - I'm just an ET."

He also joked about how he had no idea what a Peabody was for: "I want to tell you, I wasn't sure when they said, 'You've won a Peabody.'

"I said, 'No s***?'

"I thought, 'Well, maybe it was for being the best looking guy in show business.'"

The 'Spaceballs' and 'Young Frankenstein' filmmaker also made a gag about how he is "not humble".

He added: "Humility is not a part of my vocabulary. I don't even know how to spell. I think humility probably starts with a 'U' - no idea."

But he added more seriously: "This is a great honour and it has been won by a distinguished group of esteemed, well-worth winning this award and I feel a little, I don't know: 'You really want me to be part of this? These are people that go to good restaurants.'

"Anyway, but seriously, I thank you for this prestigious and fabulous award."

Mel ended with a gag about having sold all his previous trophies, adding: "I promised the George Foster Peabody people, I will not sell this one."

Mel won his Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for 'The Producers' in 1969, then completed his EGOT in 2001 when the stage version of the musical comedy won three Tonys.

He has won a total of three Grammys and four Emmys throughout his career.

The world's other three PEGOT winners are Barbra Streisand, 82, Rita Moreno, 92, and the late director of 'The Graduate' Mike Nichols, who was killed in 2014 aged 83 by a heart attack.