‘Keeping Faith has completely changed my life’ – Eve Myles
Welsh actress Eve Myles was the toast of this year’s Bafta Cymru Awards, taking home the Best Actress gong for her much-lauded role in Keeping Faith. Kathryn Williams joined the party...
BAFTA Cymru-winner Eve Myles has given an impassioned speech about the TV series that’s changed her life – Keeping Faith.
The smash-hit show – which was shot bilingually and started life on S4C as Un Bore Mercher and went on to break BBC iPlayer records – achieved three wins at Sunday’s 2018 British Academy Cymru Awards including Best Actress for Myles, Original Music (for Amy Wadge and Laurence Love Greed) and Writer (for Matthew Hall).
The Ystradgynlais-born actress told the audience at St David’s Hall in Cardiff that the award meant so much to her and she also paid tribute to the show’s director and producer, Pip Broughton.
Myles then made a video at home which she posted to Twitter to thank fans further, before she changed into her pyjamas.
In her acceptance speech at the ceremony Eve said: “Oh, I love you Wales.
“This means so much to me, thank you so much Bafta. Keeping Faith has completely changed my life, it’s brought me back to something and that’s my job. Thank you so much for all my support from day one. What a cast, what a crew.
“First and foremost I want to share this with someone very very important. She is Pip Broughton, she is my producer, she is my director and she is my best friend.
“I could not have played Faith Howells without you, Pip. Every day I come on that set and you free me and you give me courage and you make me brave, so thank you, Pip Broughton.”
She signed off with a tribute to her husband, Bradley Freeguard, who played Evan Howells on the show.
“And before I go, I want to say to my beautiful husband, Bradley Freeguard, thank you for picking me up when I fall down,” she added.
In her follow-up video, Myles – who is also known for her roles in Torchwood, Belonging and Victoria – let the show’s fans know she hadn’t forgotten them.
“I’m home and I’ve got a nice cup of tea, it’s been a busy night,” she said. “And I know I said that I was off Twitter until Feb, but it’s been a really important night for all of us and Keeping Faith.
“Matthew Hall won a Welsh Bafta, Amy Wadge, Laurence (Love Greed) won a Bafta this evening. And so did I. I’ve had lovely messages and I had to do this I just HAD to do this before I get my pyjamas on to say thank you very, very much for your beautiful messages and your beautiful loyalty from start to finish. Well we’re nowhere near finished, we’re having a great time on series two and working very, very hard. We did it.”
Other winners at the awards include Richard and Jaco: Life with Autism which won the Single Documentary accolade as well as the Director award.
Gareth Thomas won Best Presenter for Alfie v Homophobia: Hate in the Beautiful Game ad Jack Rowan picked up the Best Actor award for his role in Born To Kill. ■ Keeping Faith series two is filming now.