The TV Baftas were a very different affair this year, as a socially-distanced version of the annual event was held on Friday night.
The 2020 ceremony was postponed from its usual May date earlier this year, owing to the
Coronavirus pandemic, with it later announced it would be held behind closed doors.
Friday night’s event saw new host Richard Ayoade presenting in an audience-less studio with a handful of guest presenters, with all nominees and winners appearing via video link from home. It meant that some nominees had pre-record acceptance speeches over Zoom in the event they were announced as a winner, while others appeared live.
To say the ceremony was surreal would be somewhat of an understatement, but there were still plenty of highlights from the evening...Chernobyl and The End Of The F***ing World were the big winnersNaomi Ackie picked up Supporting
Actress for Channel 4′s The End Of The F***ing World, which was awarded Best Drama, whil Sky/HBO mini-series Chernobyl picked up two gongs, Leading
Actor for Jared Harris and Best Mini-Series. .@TEOTFW’s Naomi Ackie, Jessy Barden and Alex Lawther are sending a big shout-out to all the cast and crew that made their Drama Series win possible 🏆 #VirginMediaBAFTAs#BAFTAspic.twitter.com/Bcfci5FPfS— BAFTA (@BAFTA) July 31, 2020Artists from over 14 countries, 100s of crew members and an all-star cast, all in the name of truth and transparency… Chernobyl takes the BAFTA for Mini-Series. #VirginMediaBAFTAs#BAFTAspic.twitter.com/s4ang7701H— BAFTA (@BAFTA) July 31, 2020Naomi Ackie’s speech was particularly movingThe star was in shock when she was announced as the Supporting Actress winner for her role as Bonnie in The End Of The F***ing World, saying: “Oh man, are you serious?”
After saying her thank-yous, Naomi became emotional and joked: “This makes lockdown so much better!”
She later revealed she hadn’t realised she’d won as she wasn’t wearing her glasses and couldn’t see her name come up on the screen. 'Oh man, are you serious?!.. this makes lockdown so much better'Naomi Ackie picks up the Supporting Actress award at #VirginMediaBAFTAs for her (quite frankly) terrifying performance in The End of the F***ng World! pic.twitter.com/m9dOuEU9Cj— BAFTA (@BAFTA) July 31, 2020During the winners’ room Q&A, she explained: “Weirdly, because I’m not wearing my glasses, they’re somewhere on my bed, I couldn’t see what the name was.
“So I was waiting for the man to say. When he said it, the first thing was like ‘No! No, no!’
“Because I was amongst such amazing performances. They’re all incredible, so my first thing was to reject it.”Jared Harris made a revelation in his acceptance speechHe revealed that he wasn’t actually
HBO chief Kary Antholis’ first choice to play Valery Legasov on the show.
Jared said of their first meeting: “About 10 minutes in, he looked at me and he said ‘Jared, I hope you don’t mind me telling you this but you were not our first choice,’ and then he said ‘Would you like to know who was?’
“And I said ‘Oh I would, yes, very much.’ Daniel Day-Lewis! But he retired from acting.”
He added: “I would just like to say quickly to Daniel, don’t stay away too long. I miss seeing you up there.”The person originally slated to play the role in #Chernobyl that @JaredHarris just won the BAFTA for Leading Actor for...may surprise you! #VirginMediaBAFTAs#BAFTAspic.twitter.com/wFYxQq4vrb— BAFTA (@BAFTA) July 31, 2020Glenda Jackson and Will Sharpe also won acting prizesGlenda was awarded Leading Actress for her role in Elizabeth Is Missing, while Will was announced as Supporting Actor for his role in Giri/Haji.
In her speech, Glenda paid tribute to her fellow nominees, lamenting “there should be more awards tonight”. On your feet for the icon that is Glenda Jackson, picking up the #VirginMediaBAFTAs Award for Leading Actress for her performance in Elizabeth is Missing 👏 pic.twitter.com/S62jbWBk8R— BAFTA (@BAFTA) July 31, 2020Will accepts his award for Supporting Actor at the #VirginMediaBAFTAs! 🇯🇵 🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/nlrxaNa7QD— BAFTA (@BAFTA) July 31, 2020Other winners included
Strictly Come Dancing and Emmerdale Emmerdale was named the Best Soap and Continuing Drama, while Strictly bagged Best Entertainment Programme for only the second time in its 16-year history. Confetti cannons at the ready… this is a solid 10 acceptance speech from @bbcstrictly’s @TessDaly, @ClaudiaWinkle, @motsi_mabuse, @shirleyballas, @brunotonioli, and @craigrevhorwood 🎉 🎉 🎉 #VirginMediaBAFTAs#BAFTAspic.twitter.com/XILGus63p6— BAFTA (@BAFTA) July 31, 2020There was a special prize for Gavin & StaceyNessa’s proposal to Smithy in the
Christmas special was named as the Virgin Media Must-See Moment, which was the only category voted for by the public.
Co-writers and stars Ruth Jones and
James Corden appeared via video link together to accept the award, with James calling it the “some lovely icing on an already lovely cake”. She likes it so she tries to put a ring on it, and we loves it! The Virgin Media #MustSeeMoment winner is Gavin and Stacey - Nessa Proposes to Smithy! 🏴 #VirginMediaBAFTAspic.twitter.com/LXUKV4JLzH— BAFTA (@BAFTA) July 31, 2020Idris Elba collected one of Bafta’s highest accoladesThe actor was given the Special Award, recognising his long-standing career, which has seen him star in shows such as Luther, The Wire and In The Long Run and work as a producer, director and musician.
In his acceptance speech, Idris said he will continue to champion other actors, writers and people to tell their stories.
“In the world of film and television nothing is different, in other words no-one is different, so me giving an opportunity to someone else is just part of my inheritance, part of my upbringing,” he said.
“I am hoping that from this point, everyone sees that you can’t make it without everyone else. That’s why I think I have got this award.
“One day I might get an acting award but until that day I am going to make more opportunities for more actors, more writers and more people to come and tell their story.”Idris Elba (@idriselba) uses his moment accepting his #VirginMediaBAFTAs Special Award to ask everybody to pay it backwards and make more opportunities for others! pic.twitter.com/xV9rLCbdXB— BAFTA (@BAFTA) July 31, 2020Sian Clifford picked up a gong for her Fleabag roleShe beat co-star and the show’s creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge to win the award for Female Performance In A Comedy, for her role as Fleabag’s sister Claire.
She was emotional as she picked up the award, saying: “I don’t even believe in competition and all of the women’s I’m nominated with, including the one that I wouldn’t even be here because of... Oh my God!”Snagging your BAFTA for Female Performance in a
comedy Programme from the comfort of a beautiful garden? Well, that's just how @SiansUniverse rolls! #VirginMediaBAFTAs#BAFTAspic.twitter.com/wbLytP0tTL— BAFTA (@BAFTA) July 31, 2020Mo Gilligan sent an important message in his acceptance speechThe comedian won Entertainment Performance for his Channel 4 series The Lateish Show, and as he collected the award, he said: “On a personal note, this award means so much to me, I can’t tell you. Even the names I’m with, it blew my mind away to be here.
“It also gives hope to so many people who sound like me, look like me and are from the same background as me.”Now there's a laugh that will keep us smiling for days 😍Huge congratulations to @MoTheComedian for winning the first award of the night, Entertainment Performance, for #TheLateishShow! #VirginMediaBAFTAs#BAFTATVpic.twitter.com/JylRRraxK9— BAFTA (@BAFTA) July 31, 2020Expanding in a later winners Q&A, he added: “Within TV, I think we all know there is so much more to do, there is so much work to do to get people like myself on TV, people that sound like me.
“Not feeling like if you’re on TV you have to change the way you speak, hopefully there is someone watching who thinks ‘I am a Mo, I’ve got a friend called Mo and I can do it’, but there is still so much work to do and I think we all collectively know it.”.@tomallencomedy had a chat with @MoTheComedian backstage and it’s safe to say he is VERY happy 😍😂 #VirginMediaBAFTAs#BAFTAspic.twitter.com/oA3bW7kSF0— BAFTA (@BAFTA) July 31, 2020Tributes were paid to those we’ve lost this year As is commonplace during each year’s event, the ceremony was paused for a few minutes to remember those famous names from the TV industry we’ve lost over the last 12 months.
They included former Dame Vera Lynn, TV chef Gary Rhodes and Caroline Flack, with a short clip of her presenting
Love Island played. View this post on InstagramA post shared by Iain Stirling (@iaindoesjokes) on Jul 31, 2020 at 2:30pm PDTLaura Whitmore, who succeeded Caroline as the host of the ITV2 reality show, shared a picture of the tribute on her
Instagram Story, while the show’s narrator Iain Stirling also posted it on the site along with a heart emoji.There was a Normal People reunion The stars of
BBC Three’s Normal People, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal, were reunited at the event as they presented an award together.
However, they had to keep much more of a distance than we are used to seeing them at, posing for some hilarious photos together prior to filming the event. Tim Minchin also gave a very Tim Minchin performanceTim provided a musical interlude during proceedings, which was typical of his humour. Tim Minchin *not bothered* he wasn’t nominated:“To all you clever nominees, I hope you’re very, very pleased. I’m not bitter that my show wasn’t nominated. “(It’s got 8.6 on IMDB)”#VirginMediaBAFTAs#BAFTAspic.twitter.com/hDGAmygxCX— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) July 31, 2020 Here are the 2020 winners in fullLeading actress: Glenda Jackson, Elizabeth Is Missing – BBC OneLeading actor: Jared Harris, Chernobyl – Sky AtlanticSupporting actress: Naomi Ackie, The End Of The F***ing World – Channel 4Supporting actor: Will Sharpe, Giri/Haji – BBC TwoFemale performance in a comedy programme: Sian Clifford, Fleabag – BBCMale performance in a comedy programme: Jamie Demetriou, Stath Lets Flats – Channel 4Drama series: The End Of The F***ing World – Channel 4Single drama: The Left Behind – BBC ThreeMini-series: Chernobyl – Sky AtlanticEntertainment performance: Mo Gilligan, The Lateish Show With Mo Gilligan – Channel 4Soap and continuing drama: Emmerdale – ITVInternational: When They See Us – NetflixEntertainment programme: Strictly Come Dancing – BBC OneComedy entertainment programme: Taskmaster – DaveScripted comedy: Stath Lets Flats – Channel 4Reality and constructed factual: Race Across The World – BBC TwoFeatures: The Misadventures Of Romesh Ranganathan – BBC TwoMust-see moment (voted for by the public): Gavin And Stacey, Nessa proposes to Smithy – BBC OneCurrent affairs: Undercover: Inside China’s Digital Gulag (Exposure) – ITVSingle documentary: The Last Survivors – BBC TwoFactual series: Leaving Neverland – Channel 4Specialist factual: Yorkshire Ripper Files: A Very
British Crime Story – BBC FourNews coverage: Hong Kong
protests – Sky NewsSport: 2019 Rugby
World Cup Final:
England v
South Africa – ITVLive event: Blue Planet Live – BBC OneShort-form programme: Brain In Gear – BBC iPlayerSpecial award: Idris ElbaREAD MORE:
Oscars Bosses Postpone Next Year's Ceremony Due To Coronavirus Pandemic Fleabag's Hot Priest Is Here With A Reassuring Poem To Remind Us That 'It'll Pass' Chernobyl Matches Record For Most Nods As TV Bafta Nominations Are Revealed