The biggest BAFTA TV Awards moments from Gavin & Stacey revival to emotional Strictly win

Yahoo

11-05-2025

Sunday, May 11 brought us the annual BAFTA Television Awards, hosted by Alan Cumming, on BBC One.
Commemorating all of the buzzy small-screen entertainment released across the past 12 months at London's Royal Festival Hall, including the frolicking Disney+ series Rivals, Mr Loverman, and Mr Bates vs The Post Office, this two-hour televised ceremony had everything from teary eyes to risqué quips and unprepared speeches.
Let's take a look at the most eye-catching moments from the TV BAFTAs...
Before the dishing out of the awards commenced, Cumming and Death in Paradise star Ben Miller appeared together in a pre-recorded The Traitors spoof.
Invited up to the already iconic Traitors' turret, Cumming (who hosts the murder-mystery gameshow's US edition on Peacock) encountered Miller's Barnaby Balderston Brown, "team leader of the BAFTA Be Better Committee".
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"Look, you're a busy-ish man so I'll cut to the chase: we at BAFTA for this year's Television Awards would like you to be the forward-facing face of talent audience communication and brand advocacy," said Brown, as the Scotsman joked: "Wow, thanks so much! Me hosting the BAFTAs... that'll be like the 12th-biggest honour of my life."
Cuddling rescue dog Lala inside his Traitors cloak, Cumming was then forced to take the BAFTAs oath, promising to intervene during any overly-long acceptance speeches; swearing not to swear on camera, and not allowing himself to get tangled up in a wardrobe malfunction on stage.
Having beaten the likes of Phil Dunning (for Smoggie Queens) and Nabhaan Rizwan (Kaos) to the Best Male Performance in a Comedy gong, Mr. Bigstuff's moustachioed Danny Dyer spent his first seconds on the stage ridiculing himself.
"Comedy performance... it's like my acting was so bad it was funny!" he said to the crowd, before turning slightly more "adult" and namechecking his closest collaborators.
"I'd like to dedicate this to Ryan Sampson; one of the greatest things to come out of Rotherham. That's not saying much, but one of the best actors this country's ever produced, I'm telling you. Never done the same thing twice, which is not something I can say!"
Five months since Gavin & Stacey: The Finale concluded one of our finest-ever sitcoms, actress and co-creator Ruth Jones hilariously slipped into character as Nessa Jenkins while collecting her Best Female Performance in a Comedy statuette.
"I'm not gonna lie this is immense," she said, dryly as ever. "I was not expecting to win this, no way. I've won a BAFTA before, of course I have in 1976. It was the 'Barry Arcade Fruity Technician Award' and I was grateful for that, but this is... this is cracking!"
Over some well-earned applause, Jones (in her natural voice) went on to thank series director Christine Gernon, its "beautiful cast", and co-star/co-creator James Corden, "with whom I shared this astonishing journey the past 17 years and without whom Nessa Shanessa Jenkins would simply not exist.
"I love writing with you, long may it continue," she then teased.
Would I Lie to You? trio Lee Mack, Rob Brydon and David Mitchell were predictably up to mischief at this weekend's BAFTAs. Victorious in the Best Entertainment Programme in Honour of Lew Grade category, Mack couldn't help but point to something a little suspect.
"We've been nominated eight years... we've never won and suddenly P&O Cruises, they're involved and you win!" he told an amused Brydon, who narrated several TV campaigns over a three-year period for the ceremony's sponsor.
Playing along, the Welsh comedian noted: "The whiff of scandal hangs heavy in the air. I stopped those adverts five years ago, there is no connection!"
Joe Sugg, who first met partner Dianne Buswell on the 2018 incarnation of Strictly Come Dancing, appeared overcome with emotion in his seat as she addressed the star-studded room - having won the P&O Cruises Memorable Moment award alongside fellow Strictly champion Chris McCausland.
"This is such an honour," said the Australian dance choreographer.
"I had something completely different that I was gonna say, but somebody outside asked me what I thought of when I was doing that dance and honestly, I held Chris's hand and I was set off from the minute we started because he closed his eyes and he smiled a smile that I've never seen from him before, and that meant it came straight from his heart. This moment meant so much to the both of us, so I am just so thrilled that we have this."
McCausland, who is a blind comedian, had passed on a special message for Buswell to read out too, which went like: "After 22 years in comedy, he wins a BAFTA for dancing!"
Bafflingly, the programme's In Memoriam section somehow missed out the star who commanded arguably the greatest respect, Dame Maggie Smith. She passed away aged 89 last September.
Reacting on social media site X, one frustrated viewer wrote: "#BAFTAS no mention of Dame Maggie Smith when remembering those who died in the last year. Shame on BAFTA."
"Where was Maggie Smith in that?!!" added a second user, before a third pointed out: "Maggie Smith?? She above all..."
No Maggie Smith?? Feels like quite an oversight #BAFTAS
— zoe bickerton (@zoebickerton) May 11, 2025
Sorry but no maggie smith tribute!! Thats outrageous #baftas
— Sheilann 🍀 (@SheilannO) May 11, 2025
#baftas no Maggie smith?! Fuming
— Rosie (@Rosie12_1994) May 11, 2025