The BAFTA TV Awards delivered both drama and tears tonight, with Mary Berry and Martin Lewis receiving major honours, while the drama series Adolescence dominated the ceremony.
Martin Lewis's Emotional Tribute
Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert, won the BAFTA Special Award for his work in consumer journalism. In an emotional speech, he reflected on his childhood after his mother's sudden death when he was 11. "For six years, barring school, I barely left the house. Now I'm picking up a BAFTA," he said. He dedicated the award to "consumer journalism, where I found my fire."
Mary Berry Honoured with Fellowship
Dame Mary Berry, the 91-year-old TV cook and former Great British Bake Off judge, received the BAFTA Fellowship for her exceptional contribution to television. Presented by Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins, she praised the BBC as her "home of many years." She joked that her former co-hosts "led me astray from day one." In a poignant moment, she thanked her late son William, who died in a car accident in 1989: "William is in heaven, but I thank him."
Adolescence Wins Big
Stephen Graham won Leading Actor for his role in Adolescence, which set a record with four awards. Graham, who had been nominated eight times before, said: "Nice one BAFTA, this is lovely."
Gaza Documentary Sparks BBC Criticism
Ben De Pear, executive producer of Gaza: Doctors Under Attack, used his acceptance speech for the Current Affairs Award to question the BBC. The broadcaster had commissioned and then shelved the documentary, which was later aired by Channel 4. De Pear asked: "Given you dropped our film, will you drop us from the BAFTA screening later tonight?" The BBC later showed a brief clip of his speech.
In Memoriam Omission
Fans expressed anger on social media after Catherine O'Hara was omitted from the In Memoriam segment. Seth Rogen, accepting the Best International award for The Studio, paid tribute to O'Hara, but viewers noted her absence. One wrote: "@BAFTA massive error - missing Catherine O'Hara."
Celebrity Traitors Triumph
The Celebrity Traitors won two awards, including Best Reality Programme and the public-voted P&O Cruises Memorable Moment Award for Alan Carr. In a humorous moment, Paloma Faith pretended to push Carr off stage. Host Claudia Winkleman highlighted the role of social media in uniting fans, calling it "a real communal moment."
