Jackson named best actress at ‘virtual’ Baftas
GLENDA JACKSON won the Bafta award for best actress, nearly half a century after her last nomination.
The 84-year-old actress was recognised for her performance as a dementia sufferer in the BBC One drama Elizabeth is Missing. She was last shortlisted in 1972 for Elizabeth R.
The Virgin Media British Television Awards were handed out via Zoom to comply with Covid-19 regulations. Jackson described the set up as “bizarre”, but said one benefit was that she did not have to endure an after party.
“It’s quite close to my bedtime. I’ll be quite happy just to have my glass of white wine, a last cigarette and then go to bed,” she said last night.
The best actor award went to Jared Harris for his role in Chernobyl, which won nine awards in total, including best miniseries, giving Sky its best night at the Baftas.
Sian Clifford, the Fleabag actress, beat Phoebe Waller-bridge, the show’s writer and star, to the award for best female performance in a comedy.
The awards were hosted from Television Centre by Richard Ayoade, who joked that it was “the least touchyfeely” Baftas to date and likened it to “an overproduced Zoom call”.
The only people in the studio with Ayoade were the guest presenters, who included Daisy Edgar-jones and Paul Mescal, the stars of Normal People.
The Must-see Moment, voted for by the public, was the scene in which Nessa proposed to Smithy in the Gavin and Stacey Christmas reunion.