Michelle wows at the Baftas
AND UNITED LEGEND RIO ALSO HITS A WINNER
STARS sparkled on the red carpet as they arrived for The British Academy Television Awards 2018.
A host of stars from our favourite TV shows flocked to the Royal Festival Hall in London for a glittering ceremony hosted by the Great British Bake Off host Sue Perkins.
It was a big night for Manchester as Three Girls, the acclaimed drama about the Rochdale grooming scandal, scooped best mini series – and the cast and crew took to the stage with Maggie Oliver, the former detective who resigned from Greater Manchester Police claiming the force had failed the victims of the scandal.
In a moving moment the gong was dedicated Maggie and Sara Rowbotham, whose damning evidence helped convict the Rochdale grooming gang, and ‘the real Three Girls and their families.’
And Molly Windsor, who played abused teen Holly Winshaw in Three Girls, won best leading actress. She said: “Three Girls was born out of the courage of the real three girls and the real Holly, Amber and Ruby who told their story over and over and over and then they told it to us again. And I just want to say thank you to everyone for recognising how selfless that is and how brave that is.”
United legend Rio Ferdinand’s documentary Being Mum and Dad won best single documentary.
In an emotional speech, father-of-three Rio, who was joined at the ceremony by his girlfriend Kate Wright, thanked the BBC for the hard-hitting programme about coming to terms with the loss of his 34-year-old wife Rebecca to cancer in 2015.
He said: “I didn’t do this for any other reason but my three kids. It’s allowed me to speak and show vulnerability. Being a sportsman you’re built up as an indestructible athlete and for people to see that vulnerability that was a huge part of making that documentary.
“People who now come up to me in the streets now don’t want to talk about football so that means we’ve done a good job.” He added: “I’m pleased to say this documentary has played a part in propelling me forward into a period of happiness in my life where my kids are happy and I’ve got a beautiful girlfriend now and we’re making steps in the right direction.” Leading in the glam stakes at the glittering ceremony were Our Girl star Michelle Keegan and Marcella and Broken actress Anna Friel, who both turned heads in gorgeous princess-style gowns. Michelle from Salford, there to present the award for best entertainment performance, shimmered in sunshine yellow. Rochdale actress Anna, up for best supporting actress for her role in BBC drama Broken, was a vision in olive green and The Crown actress Claire Foy, from Stockport, wowed in white. Car Share favourite Sian Gibson, up for best female performance in a comedy programme for her role as loveable Kayleigh Kitson, had flashbulbs popping in a black gown with ruffle sleeves and cutaway shoulder detail. The One Love Manchester benefit concert, organised by singing superstar Ariana Grande in response to the Manchester Arena bomb and screened on BBC One last June, was nominated for best live event but lost out on the trophy to World War One Remembered: Passchendaele.
I didn’t do this for any reason but my three kids Bafta winner Rio Ferdinand