Martin Lewis, the founder of Money Saving Expert, delivered an emotional speech as he received the BAFTA Special Award at the 2026 BAFTA Television Awards. The ceremony took place on Sunday, 10 May 2026, at the Royal Festival Hall.
Joined by his wife, Lara Lewington, Lewis struggled to contain his emotions as he paid tribute to his mother, who died when he was young. He recalled that he wrote the speech on Thursday, exactly 42 years after losing his mother. 'My childhood was over. For six years, barring school, I barely left the house. Now I'm picking up a BAFTA,' he said.
Lewis joked that he was winning the award for 'an ITV show that's just a PowerPoint presentation with a Q&A afterwards'. He added that the win 'proves TV doesn't have to be format-driven' and that audiences will embrace 'something actionable, something real, something that helps'.
He dedicated the award to consumer journalism, highlighting its role during the pandemic, energy hikes, scam ads, and council tax debt collection. Lewis also called on the government to reverse the planned student loan threshold freeze, urging them to 'hold power to account with trust and impartiality'.
The cameras captured his wife Lara weeping in the audience. Lewis ended his speech by apologising for stealing her birthday, and paid tribute to their daughter Sapphire. He concluded, 'Tears in my eyes, sadly, it is time for this nerd to party.'
