The biggest night in British TV, this year’s BAFTA TV Awards saw the golden masks handed out to a wide spread of shows – with the BBC’s Mr Loverman the only show to take home two awards.
Hosted by Scottish actor and presenter Alan Cumming, the night kicked off with a Traitors skit, before handing out 29 awards, interspersed with a live performance or two.
While Baby Reindeer had gone into the night the most nominated, it took just one prize, as did the much talked about Mr Bates Vs The Post Office. Meanwhile Rivals and Slow Horses, which had also been hotly tipped, went home empty-handed.
Here are some of the top moments from the 2025 TV BAFTAs.
‘Hello cheeky chops!’
Jessica Gunning took the first prize of the evening, greeting her award with joyful: “Hello cheeky chops!”
Gunning, a first-time nominee, said Baby Reindeer had “changed my life”, reminiscing about her childhood playing make believe and inventing imaginary friends, never knowing she’d eventually end up using her dramatic skills to win a BAFTA.
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The role of Martha has already won her an Emmy, a SAG award and a Golden Globe in the US.
Gunning also wished her co-star and creator of Baby Reindeer Richard Gadd a happy birthday (his 36th), calling him “nipple”, a nickname her character Martha gave to Donny (Gadd’s character) in the show.
‘Liars and bullies’
Mr Bates Vs The Post Office took the limited drama prize, with producer Patrick Spence telling the audience: “Our show didn’t change the law, the people of this nation did that,” before going on to say it showed the public “cannot abide liars and bullies.”
Flagging the journalists and the campaigners who covered the wrongful conviction of the sub postmasters convicted due to Horizon IT scandal, he called making the show, “the greatest privilege of our lives”.
Later, when accepting the special award earned by ITV for commissioning the show, the channel’s managing director Kevin Lygo said he’d “never seen anything quite like” the impact of Mr Bates Vs The Post Office.
Flagging the large number of people impacted by the scandal who were still waiting for compensation, Lygo didn’t mince his words, demanding: “Hurry up and pay these people what they’re due.”
Watch your mouth
Several winners were so excited they couldn’t refrain from a little blue language.
Accepting his first BAFTA for best male comedy performance, Danny Dyer dropped the f-bomb numerous times.
In his speech, Dyer thanked his co-star and the show’s creator Ryan Sampson, calling him “one of the greatest things to have come out of Rotherham”.
He praised Sampson for “never doing the same thing twice”, adding with tongue in cheek, “It’s not something I can say”. Dyer concluded his speech with a nod to his family, and a final trademark “f***”.
Meanwhile, a very excited Sophie Willen stepped up to accept the prize for scripted comedy.
The Taskmaster alumni told the crowd: “I’m not allowed to swear and all I want to do is go beep, beep”, before calling her win “bloomin’ fabulous”.
Willen – whose part autobiographical comedy Alma’s Not Normal tackles the care system, drug addiction, mental illness, and terminal cancer – called her cast and crew “shit hot”, before catching herself, then repeating “shit, shit”.
‘I love you James’
Taking the prize for female performance in a comedy, Ruth Jones channelled her inner Nessa, saying: “I’m not going to lie, this is immense.”
Thanking the cast and crew, she became emotional as she added: “The person I would like to thank most is my dear, dear talented friend James Corden.” The cameras of course then panned to a chuffed looking Corden, sitting in the audience.
She went on to say that without him, “Vanessa Shanessa Nessa Jenkins would not exist”, paying tribute to their 17 years writing together, adding, “long may it continue” – and so perhaps giving hope for a new Jones/Corden collaboration to follow Gavin And Stacey’s final act?
War amid the awards
In a sobering moment amid the glitz and the glamour, the director of best single documentary, Ukraine: Enemy In The Woods – filmed by Ukrainian soldiers on the frontline – paid tribute to two contributors to the film who had since been killed in conflict.
Jamie Roberts spoke about two young men he’d worked with on the film, before adding: “They are not here – they are now dead.”
The winner of the current affairs category, State Of Rage, also offered a heartfelt message as they accepted the award for the programme which follows a Palestinian and Israeli family in the West Bank.
German State Of Rage director Marcel Mettelsiefen said: “It would be wrong to stand here without acknowledging what’s happening in Gaza.”
Speaking as a parent, he said: “This violence needs to stop now,” then adding, “let’s break this silence together.”
‘I’ve interviewed musicians – and a few monsters’
Former Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark received a standing ovation as she collected her BAFTA fellowship – the body’s highest accolade.
Accepting her award, Wark said: “Thank you so much to BAFTA. It is a privilege and an honour to have my name added to such an incredible roll call. My work continues to give me so much, not just wonderful friends and colleagues.”
The veteran broadcaster continued: “Things have changed so much, so radically, since the ’70s, not least the shoulder pads, the office drinks trolley, shooting on reversal for a fast edit, and film crews, the size of football teams, but always the chance to learn and grow and I’ve been lucky to interview everyone from politicians to painters, architects, economists, musicians and a few monsters.”
Wark added that the “most joyous change in television” has been “the number of women in senior roles”.
Would I Lie To You wins its first BAFTA
Everyone loves a conspiracy theory, and this year it could be courtesy of BAFTA and a big boat.
Accepting the entertainment award for perennial favourite Would I Lie To You, host Rob Brydon said: “This is a surprise.”
Team captain Lee Mack then added: “We’ve been nominated for eight years but now ‘Mr Cruises’ has done it for us,” referring to Brydon’s adverts for P&O cruises – the sponsor of tonight’s event.
“The whiff of scandal is in the air,” quipped Brydon.
In Memoriam
The In Memoriam section of the night was accompanied by live music by concert violinist and social media sensation Esther Abrami.
Always a poignant moment in the evening, it included a wide variety of stars who passed away this year including Shannon Doherty, Tony Slattery, Paul Danan, Henry Kelly, Linda Nolan, Michael Moseley, The Vivienne and Timothy West.
Poirot presents best actress
Awarding the best actress prize, Sir David Suchet channelled his most famous on-screen character, Hercule Poirot, greeting the audience with “Mesdames, Messieurs” to wild applause.
He went on, in the words of the bumbling Belgian detective: “I expect you’re wondering why I’ve gathered you here tonight?”
In a surprise win, Industry star Marisa Abela took the prize and had to be helped up on to the stage due to the length and tightness of her sparkling black gown.
Clearly surprised by her win, and becoming tearful, as she paid tribute to her drama school teacher who she said was in the audience that night, she also paid tribute to her mother, also an actress, without whom she said she’d never be on the stage accepting her first BAFTA aged just 28.
