The BAFTA TV Awards brought the drama and the tears tonight, as Mary Berry and Martin Lewis were handed huge honours and Adolescence won big
The BAFTA TV Awards brought the tears tonight – as Mary Berry and Martin Lewis were handed huge honours.
It was a great night for Adolescence, who picked up a record four prizes, whilst Celebrity Traitors also won two accolades, including the public-voted P&O Cruises Memorable Moment Award.
Mary Berry was honoured with the BAFTA Fellowship whilst MoneySavingExpert Martin picked up the BAFTA Special Award. In emotional speeches, both paid tribute to those they had lost.
Stephen Graham won Leading Actor for his part in Adolescence. Stephen, who has been nominated before but only won this year, said: “I might take my time, I’ve been nominated eight times and this is the first time I’ve won… Nice one BAFTA, this is lovely.”
Mary Berry emotional
Dame Mary Berry was emotional as she accepted her Bafta fellowship at the annual television awards tonight. The 91-year-old TV cook and former Great British Bake Off judge was awarded for her exceptional contribution to television.
Dame Mary praised the BBC as her “home of many years”, after being presented with the prize by former Bake Off presenters Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins during the ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall.
The beloved TV chef, from Somerset, joked that Mel and Sue had “led me astray from day one”. At the end of her heartfelt speech, she praised those she’d worked with.
“I so admire producers, directors and creatives who I have worked with over the years. Essential qualities in life are kindness, patience and respect, which I have received all along the way. I’ve been doing this for over 50 years, and I’m still learning. So what’s next for me, at the age of 91? I have just started my own YouTube channel. We shall see,” she said.
She finished her speech by offering thanks to her three children, including her son who died in a car accident in 1989 at the age of 19. In a heartbreaking nod to her late son, she said: “William is in heaven, but I thank him.”
Martin Lewis’ loss
Martin Lewis has reflected on his childhood as a “broken, scared boy” who “barely left the house” as he picked up a Bafta special award for his work in the TV industry.
The Money Saving Expert gave an emotional speech after being presented with the prize by Richard Osman, where he reflected on the tragic death of his mum when he was just 11-years-old.
Explaining he wrote the speech on Thursday, 42 years after his mother’s sudden death days before his 12th birthday, he said: “For six years, barring school, I barely left the house. Now I’m picking up a Bafta.
“For all those of you out there struggling with your own demons, know this: life can be transformed, it can get better. If you had told that broken, scared boy that I’d proudly be a campaigning journalist, his jaw would have dropped. So I dedicate this to consumer journalism, where I found my fire.”
Winner calls out BBC
The executive producer behind Gaza: Doctors Under Attack has asked the BBC during his acceptance speech if the broadcaster will exclude the documentary’s win from its coverage of the Bafta TV Awards.
The BBC had commissioned and then shelved the one-off documentary due to impartiality concerns. It was later aired by Channel 4.
Executive producer Ben De Pear used his speech to criticise the BBC. Thanking the journalists who made the film, he then asked: “Finally, just a question for the BBC: given you dropped our film, will you drop us from the Bafta screening later tonight?”
The BBC later showed that part of the speech during a speedy sequence of a string of awards being handed out.
In Memoriam missing star
BAFTA fans were left fuming tonight as Catherine O’Hara was missed from the In Memoriam segment.
When Seth Rogen and the team behind The Studio – which Catherine was in before her sad death – collected their Best International award, he paid tribute to the legendary actress: “She meant so much to all of us, I assume her work was as important to you all over here as it was to us so this is for Catherine.”
However, she was missed from the tributes. One fan wrote: “@BAFTA massive error – missing Catherine O’Hara,” as another penned: “Did I miss the tribute to Catherine O’Hara in that segment? #BAFTAs.” A third shared: “Catherine O’Hara not featured on the celebs who have passed away segment?”
A fourth shared: “Where was the legend Catherine O’Hara in the tributes? They always do this. Miss someone out. #BAFTA.”
Traitors drama
It was a great night for the Celebrity Traitors this evening, who picked up two prizes. The show won Best Reality Programme and Alan Carr also won the only public-voted award for Best TV Moment.
In a hilarious moment on stage, Alan celebrated the Reality win by hoisting the BAFTA award above his head before Paloma Faith – his real-life best friend who he ‘murdered’ first on the show – jokingly pretended to push him off stage.
In the winners’ room, host Claudia Winkleman explained social media is “so important” in bringing together the millions of fans of The Traitors and its celebrity spin-off version.
Asked about the importance of social media in the show’s success, she said: “I think it’s so important because, not just social media, but the people who watch – and they seemingly watch together as families – is my favourite thing of all. It feels like it’s a real communal moment. We’re incredibly grateful for everyone who gets involved.”
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