The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Actors defend Channel 4 at Bafta awards
Channel 4 has enjoyed success at the Bafta TV Awards amid uncertainty over its future – winning five awards.
The event hosted by comedian Richard Ayoade, which featured its first full audience in two years, also saw the BBC claim nine awards and ITV take home seven.
A number of winners used their speeches to hail the value of Channel 4 and criticise government plans to privatise the broadcaster.
Jodie Comer claimed the leading actress award for her role in Channel 4’s Help and thanked the broadcaster for “believing in the script”.
Gogglebox won its second TV Bafta for best constructed factual show and the chief executive of production company Studio Lambert, Stephen Lambert, used his speech to voice opposition to the government’s plans.
He said: “If the government goes ahead with its destructive plan to end Channel 4... a big part of what makes British TV great will have ended for no good reason.”
Mo Gilligan won best comedy entertainment for his The Lateish Show on Channel 4 and said the prize “means so much” because Channel 4 took him on when he was struggling with his mental health.
Jamie Demetriou won a TV Bafta for best male in a comedy for his role in Channel 4’s Stath Lets Flats.
However, despite leading the nominations with a total of seven, Channel 4’s It’s A Sin ended the ceremony empty handed.
The BBC came out top of the public service broadcasters with nine prizes.
Sean Bean won best leading actor for his role in prison drama Time, which also won best mini series.
Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice won the must-see moment for their silent dance on BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing.
Among ITV’s successes were Ant And Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, which claimed the first award of the event, for best entertainment programme.
The news coverage award went to ITV News At Ten for its work on the storming of the US Capitol.
Bafta chairman Krishnendu Majumdar opened the event with a speech addressing diversity and the changing media landscape, before paying tribute to TV journalists working in Ukraine and Sir Billy Connolly, who received a Bafta fellowship.