BAFTA TV Awards 2025: Big Winners and Surprise Moments

The 2025 BAFTA TV Awards took place on Sunday, with several big winners and surprise moments. The ceremony, hosted by Alan Cumming, saw some of the biggest names in British television come together to celebrate the best of the industry.

Big Winners of the Night

Mr. Loverman and Mr. Bates vs the Post Office were among the big winners of the night, with the latter taking home the award for Best Drama Series. The ITV dramatization of the postal scandal, which highlighted the public outcry over the wrongful convictions of subpostmasters, was recognized for its impact and storytelling. The producer, Patrick Spence, said that the story only had an impact because the people who saw it acted with anger.

Acting Prizes

Mr. Loverman won two major acting prizes, with Lennie James and Ariyon Bakare taking home the awards for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, respectively. James described his victory as a "fantastic honor" and thanked his co-nominees, including David Tennant, Martin Freeman, and Richard Gadd. Bakare said that his award stood on the shoulders of those who came before him and thanked them for their courage.

Other Winners

Marisa Abela won the award for Best Leading Actress for her role in Industry, while Ruth Jones took home the award for Best Female Comedy Performance for her role in Gavin & Stacey: The Finale. Danny Dyer won the award for Best Male Comedy Performance for his role in Mr. Bigstuff, and Jessica Gunning won the award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Baby Reindeer.

Factual Entertainment and Reality TV

Rylan Clark and Rob Rinder won the award for Factual Entertainment for their Italian travel series Rob & Rylans Grand Tour. The pair joked about their lack of preparation for the show, with Clark saying that they didn’t know what they were doing when they landed in Venice. Would I Lie to You? was awarded the best entertainment program, with Lee Mack joking that the show’s previous nominations had been overlooked.

Special Awards

Kirsty Wark, who left the BBC’s Newsnight last summer after 30 years, received the BAFTA Fellowship, the highest honor awarded by the British Academy. Wark said it was a "privilege and honor" to be recognized and praised her colleagues for their hard work and dedication.

Unforgettable Moment

Strictly Come Dancing won the award for the Unforgettable Moment, with Chris McCausland’s dance with his partner Diane Buswell being recognized for its emotional impact. Buswell accepted the award on behalf of McCausland, who joked that he was not present because he had insisted on driving to the event. The dance, which saw McCausland mimic his everyday experience of blindness, was praised for its storytelling and vulnerability.