Often rail passengers are guilty only of a misunderstanding. Thousands of people have inadvertently made journeys they assumed could be paid for by contactless card – only to discover they could tap in but had strayed across an invisible “tariff border” and could not a tap out. Others get impatient after queuing for ages for a ticket and jump on a train without one, intending to pay on board or at the other end.
At the other extreme, some commuters deliberately set out day after day to travel without paying, robbing the railway of revenue and increasing the financial burden on the majority of law-abiding passengers.
The cost to the rail industry of people travelling without a ticket is an estimated £330 million per year – about 3.2 per cent of rail revenue. This figure correlates to the estimate from one train firm, TransPennine Express, that 3.5 per cent of passengers travel without a ticket.
Advertisement
A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), representing train operators, said: “Fare dodging is unfair because it means less money to invest in improving services and increases the burden on fare-paying passengers and taxpayers.”
The Regulation of Railways Act 1889 requires the rail passenger to produce “a ticket showing that his fare is paid” on request by a staff member.
The rather more modern National Rail Conditions of Travel from April 2024 specify “you must purchase, where possible, a valid ticket before you board a train” and use it “in accordance with the specific terms and conditions associated with it” – for example, if it is a ticket with time restrictions or has been bought with a railcard discount.
A 21st-century ticket takes rather more forms than in the Victorian era, and can include:
Advertisement
One on “a mobile telephone or tablet device”
A smartcard as used in Greater London (with the Oyster card) and elsewhere
A bank card on which you have tapped in at station entry gates or on a reader on the platform
Why wouldn’t everyone simply buy a ticket?
About 29 out of 30 passengers do so, according to data from TransPennine Express. ScotRail says one in 27 passengers on its network is ticketless. But if you plan to buy a ticket at the station and can’t do so, you may board a train if the ticket office is closed (or there isn’t one) and the ticket machine is either broken or won’t accept your preferred method of payment (card or cash).
You should buy a ticket from the guard on board if there is one, or at an interchange station if time allows. If you can’t do either, you can pay at your destination.
Some stations still have “Permit to Travel” machines. You can pay a small sum in return for a receipt that shows the issuing station and the amount paid, which will be deducted from the ticket you eventually buy. Alternatively, a standard ticket machine may dispense a “Promise to Pay” for free. This indicates to staff on the train or at the gateline at the end of your journey where exactly you started.
Or, of course, you could book a ticket on your smartphone – as, on TransPennine Express at least, three-quarters of passengers do.
Advertisement
What if the queue is just too long?
You are expected to wait as long as it takes. As one insider posted on a rail forum: “Even if it was the second coming of Christ, as long as the ticket office is open a passenger must buy a ticket or be given authority to travel by an officer of the railway without one.”
If you have allowed reasonable time to buy a ticket but can wait no longer, you could ask station staff – or, in an “open station” the train guard (if there is one) – if you can buy a ticket on board.
Such authorisation may be granted if, for example, ticket machines are not working. Otherwise, if you decide to board a train without a ticket you will be breaking the law.
Advertisement
Train operators take fare dodging very seriously and employ revenue protection officers to catch passengers who fail to pay. These staff work on trains and at stations.
What about travelling with “the wrong sort of ticket”?
Revenue protection staff will also take interest in passengers who do the following:
Use an Advance ticket on the wrong train, unless they have been told specifically that they can do so because of disruption
Claim a railcard discount when they don’t have one (though if they have simply left it at home, they can claim back any penalty applied)
Sit in first class with a standard ticket (unless the train has been declared as “declassified”)
Try to use an operator-specific ticket on a service run by a different firm – eg a cheap London Northwestern ticket from Birmingham to London on Avanti West Coast
Attempt a “split-ticket” trip without following the rules – for example, buying separate Bristol-Didcot and Didcot-London tickets to cover a Bristol-London trip, but boarding a train that does not stop at Didcot
What is the penalty for travelling without a ticket – or the wrong sort of ticket?
Railway staff can choose from one of three options, which are progressively more serious and expensive.
Advertisement
To charge you the full single fare
To charge you a Penalty Fare, which is £50 (or £100 if you fail to pay within three weeks) plus the full single fare
To report you for prosecution
How do they decide which penalty to apply?
All passengers will come up with an excuse when challenged about why they do not have a ticket. From experience, rail staff can usually tell if a tale about running late and foolishly hopping on a train just before it left is true. If so, they may simply apply the full single fare.
The Penalty Fare is the standard response to an offence. But if the revenue protection officer believes that the individual is a repeat offender – perhaps a passenger who simply “pays when challenged” – they may report the traveller for prosecution.
Can I appeal a Penalty Fare?
Yes, but if you were travelling without a ticket it is unlikely to succeed. For example, the many people who fondly imagine that they can pay with a contactless card or smartphone to travel between London and Stansted airport are routinely issued Penalty Fares.
Advertisement
They “tap in” with a contactless card for the Stansted Express at London Liverpool Street or Tottenham Hale, only to discover on reaching the airport that their card is not valid.
Warning signs have now been posted, meaning that anyone who is issued with a Penalty Fare is unlikely to succeed in an appeal.
What happens if a case goes to court?
If convicted, the passenger can be fined up to £1,000 or jailed. This will no longer be under the Single Justice Procedure, with a single magistrate working behind closed doors. Instead, there will be a proper court hearing.
Advertisement
What’s the story with those 74,000 quashed convictions?
Six rail firms – Northern, Transpennine, Avanti West Coast, Greater Anglia, Great Western Railway and Merseyrail – used the procedure.
All the convictions will be quashed after the chief magistrate for England and Wales, Judge Paul Goldspring, declared them all to be invalid. The people involved will see their convictions overturned and be handed their money back.
The government says: “If you think you may be affected, you should wait to be contacted directly and told what will happen next including if you have paid some or all of a financial penalty.
Advertisement
“For those who haven’t yet paid anything relating to their offence we will be writing to them is the conviction is declared invalid to confirm the court record has been corrected.”
The cases will be regarded as nullified – as though they have never taken place.
The annual award show took a pause to remember the stars who have died during the past 12 months
The Bafta TV Awards viewers called out a beloved late star who was missing from the ceremony’s in memoriam segment.
Advertisement
A host of stars attended this year’s ceremony, which was held at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London. On presenting duties for the evening was Greg Davies, best known for presenting Taskmaster and appearing in The Inbetweeners.
As is usual with the ceremony, which was dominated by the Netflix series Adolescence, a portion of the programme was dedicated to the stars who lost their lives over the past 12 months.
Click here to get the biggest stories straight to your inbox in our Daily Newsletter
Norwegian singer-songwriter AURORA performed a beautiful rendition of Through the Eyes of a Child, from Adolescence, as pictures and clips of the stars who had died were displayed. Among those featured through pictures was Rivals author Jilly Cooper, Only Fools and Horses’ Patrick Murray, Kim Woodbourne, Ozzy Osbourne and EastEnders legend Derek Martin.
Advertisement
It wasn’t just UK stars who were honoured, with Grey’s Anatomy’s Eric Dane, Dawson’s James Van Der Beeke and The Cosby Show’s Malcolm-Jamal Warner all featured. Also shown was Married at First Sight Australia’s Mel Schilling.
Those who received video clips of their work were Fawlty Towers’ Prunella Scales, Top Gear’s Quentin Willson, Wycliffe’s Jack Shepherd, ITN News’ Sandy Gall, the BBC’s Alan Yentob and Keeping Up Appearances’ Patrica Routledge.
One star who was not shown at all was Home Alone’s Catherine O’Hara, in spite of her series The Studio winning Best International series moments before the in memoriam. Her co-star Seth Rogen paid tribute to her during his acceptance speech.
Advertisement
He said: “I’d be remiss not to mention one of the key parts of this show, Catherine O’Hara. 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. Thank you all very, very much.”
Those watching the Baftas at home rushed to X, previously known as Twitter, to have their say on why they were annoyed by the screen icon’s omission from the poignant segment.
@cj_787 said: “Catherine O’Hara not featured on the celebs who have passed away segment?” @rosekdl9 added: “Did I miss the tribute to Catherine O’Hara in that segment.”
@JulesItsjules wrote: “Where was the legend Catherine O’Hara in the tributes? They always do this. Miss someone out. #BAFTA.”
Advertisement
@PoshKathryn commented: “What the actual F! How do you not include Catherine O’Hara in the memorial section? And while I’m on a rant, a nod to Ted from Gone Fishing wouldn’t have gone amiss either! #baftas.”
Some people have pointed out that the reason Catherine wasn’t featured due to her being show during the Bafta Film Awards earlier in the year.
For West Ham, meanwhile, a costly loss keeps them in the bottom three by a point and 17th-place Tottenham now have a chance to take a big step towards top-flight survival on Monday night as they host a Leeds side who, along with Nottingham Forest, are now mathematically safe from relegation after Sunday’s result in east London.
Figures show there have been 29 road deaths in Northern Ireland so far this year
Extra funding has been granted to re-enforce critical road safety messages amid a recent spike in road deaths in Northern Ireland.
Advertisement
The Department for Infrastructure announced an extra £220,000 funding commitment has been agreed in response to the growing number of road deaths this year.
Figures from the PSNI show there have been 29 road fatalities so far this year, more than twice the number for the same period in 2025, when 14 fatalities were recorded on our roads.
Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins said the funding to re-enforce road safety messages will focus on general driver behaviour and motorcyclist safety.
Advertisement
Minister Kimmins said: “Road safety continues to be a key priority for me, and I remain firmly committed to ensuring that all road users can travel safely and with confidence.
“Every road death is a tragedy and more than a statistic, it shatters families and causes devastating grief. Therefore, given the recent spikes in road deaths, I have committed funding in 2026-27 to re-launch three campaigns this month.
“Beginning May 7th, Priorities, Bike Speed and Bike Aware address general driver behaviour and motorcyclist safety as an initial priority.
“Last year I reinstated the road safety advertising budget, approving an allocation of almost £2 million to Road Safety Promotion for the 2025-26 financial year.
Advertisement
“In addition, the Northern Ireland Road Safety Partnership (NIRSP) has allocated £500,000 in sponsorship, bringing the total budget to almost £2.5 million.
“This budget funded the development of a suite of campaigns to address the main causations of road traffic collisions, including, hard hitting ads addressing speeding, driver behaviour, drug driving and safety around school buses.”
Professor Robin May, chief scientific officer at the agency, said: “We are pleased to confirm that all British nationals onboard the MV Hondius have now safely returned to the UK and are being supported by UKHSA and NHS medical experts at Arrowe Park, who have worked at pace to prepare for the safe arrival of passengers at the facility.
Former TOWIE star James Argent has paid tribute to his co-star Jake Hall, who died suddenly aged 35. Sharing an emotional video on Instagram James said Jake was “one of a kind”
Reality TV personality James Argent has honoured his “dear mate” Jake Hall, saying he “loves and misses so much”, after his unexpected death at 35.
Advertisement
The former The Only Way Is Essex (Towie) favourite, known as “Arg”, has turned to social media to commemorate his co-star, whom he described as possessing “infectious energy” and being “one of a kind”. Argent, 38, shared behind-the-scenes footage with Hall from a photoshoot following a “huge weight-loss goal”, telling his nearly one million followers how “lucky” he felt to have that “beautiful memory” preserved.
Under the video, Argent wrote: “I’ve been processing the loss of my dear mate Jake. Watching videos, looking through photos, listening to voice notes and reading messages from our friendship. It hurts real bad.
“This footage was taken around four years ago as I’d just hit a huge weight-loss goal. Jake was so proud of me, he organised a full shoot with a videographer/photographer using his own clothing designs at his studio in east London.”
Argent recalled feeling “unsure” about the photoshoot but revealed TV personality Hall “insisted”, adding: “He did this because he wanted me to finally feel good about myself. He gave me so much confidence. He spent the day raising me up.
“We didn’t stop laughing and had so much fun together. I’m so lucky to have this beautiful memory.
“Jake had infectious energy and was one of a kind. Love and miss my mate so much.” The comments were inundated with messages of support from fans, friends and former co-stars alike, including fellow Towie alumni Billie Shepherd, Danielle Armstrong and Ferne McCann.
Advertisement
Hall joined the Towie cast in 2015, going on to date co-star Chloe Lewis before departing the show in 2024. He also ran his own menswear label, By Jake Hall.
Content cannot be displayed without consent
Tributes have continued to pour in over recent days, with soap star Ryan Thomas posting a heartfelt message on Sunday morning, in which he revealed the last text he received from the TV personality.
Thomas shared a black-and-white video montage featuring himself and Hall with his 1.3 million followers, praising him as “always the coolest guy in the room”, who had “class, charisma” and a “magic about him that nobody else had”.
Paying tribute to Hall’s eight-year-old daughter River, Thomas also wrote: “His next chapter is written in the stars now and it’s all about River. I promise she’ll grow up surrounded by love and stories about how inspiring and powerful her daddy is.”
Advertisement
The mother of his child posted a message to Instagram on Saturday, saying that both she and her daughter’s hearts were “shattered”.
Albanian model Misse Beqiri shared a series of photographs of herself, Hall and their daughter, saying the influx of messages following his death was “both heartbreaking and beautiful all at once”. The Real Housewives Of Cheshire star also described how she loved Hall from “the very first moment I saw you”, adding: “You left behind your mini version, our River, and for that we are forever grateful. You will always live on through her, and you will forever be with us.”
Fellow celebrities also stepped forward to pay their respects, including Hall’s close friend and former Towie co-star Vas J Morgan, who took to Instagram to describe his death as a “deeply difficult loss”, expressing his wish that they had been given more time together.
Advertisement
Former Made In Chelsea star Akin Solanke similarly shared a heartfelt photo alongside Hall on Instagram, writing: “If I never told you how much you inspired me, I hope you knew regardless.”
On Wednesday, well-known celebrity DJ Fat Tony posted a moving tribute on social media, saying: “Devastating news we love you @jakehall such an awful loss to the world you beautiful man x.”
Michael Pennington, who played Death Star Commander Moff Jerjerrod in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, has reportedly died at the age of 82
Michael Pennington, who starred in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, has died aged 82.
Advertisement
The Shakespearean performer, who portrayed Death Star Commander Moff Jerjerrod in the beloved sci-fi classic, passed away on Sunday, May 10, according to reports. Pennington founded the English Shakespeare Company and earned widespread recognition for his theatrical performances, featuring in productions of Hamlet, The Judge, and The Henrys.
Pennington also starred as Antony in the acclaimed 2012 staging of Cleopatra and Antony. At the time he confessed his surprise at securing the prized part. He said: “I’d thought vaguely that it was time that I was playing the Prospero’s and the Lear’s, although there has been quite a spate of King Lear’s recently.”
Speaking to the Chichester Festival Theatre in 2012 he continued: “So Antony wasn’t really on my radar, although more so perhaps than ‘Richard III’ or Benedick in ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ which have never really appealed to me.
“I’d played Antony before in an audio production for the Open University with Lindsay Duncan but I’d always thought of Antony as being very stocky in stature – like Anthony Hopkins who did in fact play the part opposite Judi Dench at the National in the 1980s.”, reports the Mirror US.
He added: “But it’s been absolutely glorious to do. Once you start to work on one of his plays, Shakespeare fires you off in all directions.” Pennington also opened up about his regrets regarding his role as a Jedi.
He said, “I look at it now and I think I overact horribly and I can’t even remember the story-line. We all did it for a song but I suppose that it has given we some kind of calling card for movies. Whenever I come out of the Stage Door after a performance, all people would ask about was ‘Star Wars‘.”
Advertisement
The acclaimed actor also revealed that establishing The English Shakespeare Company stands as one of the greatest achievements of his career. He said, “In retrospect, I’m most struck by the sheer bravura and unlikeliness of it. It’s given me a fund of remarkable stories to dine out on, particularly about some of the scrapes which we got into.”
He went on to express his immense pride in having shaped the next generation of actors and the wider theatrical world through the founding of the ESC. He said, “Yet at the same time we also succeeded in turning a lot of young actors, who might have drifted off elsewhere, into Classical actors. And I see the influence of the ESC everywhere, wherever Shakespeare is done in belt and braces, whenever the productions are irrelevant and joyful.”
Tributes for Michael have been pouring in from co-stars and fellow actors. His good friend and fellow screen veteran Miriam Margolyes confirmed news of his passing in a post uploaded to her social media.
Advertisement
The Harry Potter actress emotionally penned: “Michael Pennington has died. An old friend, from Cambridge days, a very fine actor, brilliant, wise, clear. I am sad beyond measure. Bless your dear memory. Old chum.”
Fans have also shared their sorrow, one devastated fan wrote: “May the force be with you brother.” Another called the actor a “legend”, writing: “May he rest in peace.”
Half of children across the UK now own an AI-enabled toy or device, a new survey reveals, despite widespread parental anxieties regarding their safety and the potential for data risks.
The findings highlight a growing chasm between the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence technology in children’s products and the availability of clear guidance for families on their safe use.
The poll, conducted by the British Standards Institution (BSI) to mark its 125th anniversary, found that 50 per cent of children aged 16 and under have already been given at least one AI-powered toy or learning device, such as interactive robots or smart tablets.
Yet, almost half of parents (47 per cent) believe their child would be better off growing up without any access to AI, while a significant 75 per cent express concern that internet-connected AI toys could expose their children to unwanted content or data vulnerabilities.
Advertisement
Despite these profound worries, the survey uncovered a striking paradox: 54 per cent of parents indicated they would be more likely to allow their child to play with an AI-enabled toy unsupervised than to play outside on the street without an adult present (51 per cent), or to let their children visit local shops or parks alone (46 per cent).
Further concerns emerged regarding children’s understanding of AI. Fewer than half of parents (46 per cent) believe their child could distinguish between a human and an AI, and just 43 per cent think their child could accurately assess information provided by an AI chatbot.
A substantial 78 per cent of parents are worried that these devices might respond to sensitive questions in ways they cannot oversee, while 70 per cent fear AI praising or criticising behaviour without understanding its appropriateness or safety.
Emily Darlington has echoed parental concerns over safety (House of Commons)
The demand for clearer safeguards is evident, with nine in 10 parents (91 per cent) stating that a recognised safety certification or mark for AI toys would be important, and nearly a third (29 per cent) deeming it essential.
More than 80 per cent (83 per cent) believe manufacturers should adhere to established standards or codes of conduct, and 72 per cent want clearer information on whether products meet safety or security requirements.
Advertisement
Currently, while traditional toy safety marks like CE or UKCA address physical risks such as choking, and some devices comply with information security standards like ISO 27001, there is no widely recognised, dedicated framework specifically addressing the unique safety, behavioural, and developmental considerations posed by AI in toys.
The UK government has recently published its proposed new product safety framework, which aims to address risks of harm linked to AI, including in children’s toys.
Laura Bishop, BSI’s digital sector lead for cybersecurity and AI, commented: “AI-enabled toys are quickly becoming part of everyday childhood, both in play and learning, and they do have the potential to offer real benefits in terms of development or access to information.
However, the frameworks to support safe, transparent and age-appropriate use are still catching up. Our research shows that while parents are increasingly introducing these technologies into their children’s lives, they are doing so without clear, consistent information about how they work or what safeguards are in place.
Advertisement
As the AI toys and devices available to children evolve and become more sophisticated, it is essential that the frameworks around them develop at the same pace.”
MP Emily Darlington, a member of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, echoed these concerns: “These findings clearly show that AI toys are becoming part of children’s everyday lives far more quickly than Government is able to regulate them or give parents necessary information on the impact they will have on a child’s development.
“Parents are currently being asked to make decisions about complex technology without clear, accessible guidance on how it works, what data it collects, or how to use it safely. It’s our job as the Government to help parents feel informed and confident about the choices they make for their children, rather than leave them to figure it out on their own.
“All of this underlines the need for clearer standards and guardrails, so innovation doesn’t run ahead of safety. Otherwise, we risk children growing up in a world with powerful technologies that we still don’t fully understand – and it may be too late.”
Advertisement
The survey was conducted by Focaldata, polling 1,000 UK parents in April.
Professor Robin May, chief scientific officer at the agency, said: “We are pleased to confirm that all British nationals onboard the MV Hondius have now safely returned to the UK and are being supported by UKHSA and NHS medical experts at Arrowe Park, who have worked at pace to prepare for the safe arrival of passengers at the facility.
Iran has sent their offer to end the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon, and to ensure the security of global shipping.
But the US president posted on Truth Social: ‘I have just read the response from Iran’s so-called “Representatives.”
Advertisement
‘I don’t like it — TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE! Thank you for your attention to this matter.’
Without giving more details, he accused Tehran of ‘playing games’ with the United States for nearly 50 years, adding: ‘They will be laughing no longer!’
Sign up for all of the latest stories
Start your day informed with Metro’s News Updates newsletter or get Breaking Newsalerts the moment it happens.
Advertisement
Trump is giving diplomacy ‘every chance we possibly can before going back to hostilities,’ the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, told ABC earlier.
Trump has reiterated threats to resume full-scale bombing if Iran does not accept an agreement to reopen the strait and roll back its nuclear program. Iran has largely blocked the strategic waterway that’s key to the global flow of oil.
On Friday, the US struck two Iranian oil tankers it said were trying to breach the blockade.
Advertisement
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard navy promised a heavy assault on US bases in retaliation.
Another sticking point in negotiations is Iran’s highly enriched uranium. The UN nuclear agency says Iran has more than 440 kilograms (970 pounds) enriched up to 60% purity, a short, technical step from weapons grade.
‘We considered it possible that they might intend to steal it through infiltration operations or heli-borne operations,’ General Akrami Nia said.
An explosion of what appears to be white phosphorus fired by the IDF on Lebanon on May 10, (Picture: Reuters)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war isn’t over because the enriched uranium needs to be taken out of Iran. ‘Trump has said to me, “I want to go in there,” and I think it can be done physically,’ he said.
It came after Trump fired off 16 posts on Truth Social, featuring AI images of ships sinking in Iran and mock-ups of renovations in Washington.
Advertisement
The US President went on one of his infamous posting sprees to share images of sinking ships in Iran, explosions and a UFC fight on the White House front lawn.
In one image, captioned ‘Bye Bye, Drones’, an AI image showed an American warship blasting Iranian drones out of the sky with lasers.
Another showed Iranian drones dropping like butterflies into the ocean, with images of actual blue butterflies next to it.
In one image, Trump watched as ships exploded in the distance (Picture: Truth Social)
It appears the President got the phrase ‘dropping like flies’ mixed up with butterflies.
Other posts showed AI mockups of a UFC fighting stage on the White House lawn, which Trump plans to host for America’s 250th this year.
Advertisement
Trump also took a dig at his predecessor Barack Obama.
He wrote: ‘[Iran] finally found the greatest SUCKER of them all, in the form of a weak and stupid American President.
‘He was a disaster as our “Leader,” but not as bad as Sleepy Joe Biden! For 47 years the Iranians have been “tapping” us along, keeping us waiting, killing our people with their roadside bombs, destroying protests, and recently wiping out 42,000 innocent, unarmed protestors, and laughing at our now GREAT AGAIN Country.’
EastEnders picked up the prestigious award at the annual award’s ceremony
The Bafta TV Awards viewers were left frustrated as the prestigious soap award was cut short during the BBC’s broadcast of the annual award’s show.
Advertisement
A host of stars attended this year’s ceremony, which was held at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London. On presenting duties for the evening was Greg Davies, best known for presenting Taskmaster and appearing in The Inbetweeners.
During the show’s opening VT, Greg could be seen traveling through the history of TV with a young boy who was more interested in social media. At one stage the pair appeared in the classic EastEnders scene where Kat Slater revealed she was Zoe Slater’s mum.
Click here to get the biggest stories straight to your inbox in our Daily Newsletter
Once again bringing up the BBC soap during his monologue, Greg said: “You think Daniel Day-Lewis could cut it in EastEnders? No Daniel, you don’t have time to sit with the character.
Advertisement
“You have to get your sister-in-law pregnant, do a shift in the cafe and have a fight with Phil Mitchell before lunch.”
Competing for the Best Soap award this year was EastEnders, medical drama Casualty and the beloved ITV programme Coronation Street. For the second year in a row, EastEnders took the award home.
Accepting the award was Denise Fox actress Diane Parish, on the eve of the 20th anniversary of playing the character. It was announced last week that Denise will be seen being diagnosed with blood cancer in the coming weeks.
Advertisement
However, the category was one of the ones which didn’t air in full. Instead, a brief segment of Diane’s acceptance speech was shown in a montage. Other categories not included were Live Event Coverage, Daytime and Children’s Scripted.
Those watching the Baftas at home rushed to X, previously known as Twitter, to call out the Baftas for not including the soap awards, with the medium remaining one of the most popular across all of UK television.
@amz07 said: “Absolute scandal not fully showing #eastenders winning the best soap #bafta #baftatvawards @bbc.” @sevandrec added: “RELEASE THE FULL SOAP CATEGORY AT ONCE @BAFTA.”
@RyanJL wrote: “lmao BAFTA said ‘oh soap? yeah here we did that one earlier’.” @AndiMcLellan posted: “quite telling of the current soap climate that Best Soap has been bumped to VT about awards nobody cares about. #BAFTAs.”
Advertisement
@demelcy commented: “Speedy best soap part #baftas.” @Joc7376 noted: “Why are some of the biggest awards soap, daytime and sporting only shown as ‘presented earlier’ #baftas.”
The news also arrives after it was confirmed in recent months that the The British Soap Awards will not be airing this year, meaning there will be less opportunities than normal for the stars to be recognised for their work.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login