Mr Bates and Mr Loverman win top Bafta Awards

Mr Loverman and Mr Bates vs the Post Office were big winners at the Bafta TV Awards on Sunday. The night featured several surprise winners.

ITV's drama about the post office scandal won best drama series. This scandal involved false convictions of sub-postmasters. ITV also received a special award for the show's impact.

Producer Patrick Spence said, "The story had an impact because viewers demanded action." He emphasized that people cannot tolerate liars and bullies.

Mr Loverman, which tells of an elderly man's affair, won two major acting awards. Spence accepted the prize for Mr Bates vs the Post Office and highlighted public outrage against dishonesty.

James Strong directed Mr Bates vs the Post Office, starring Monica Dolan and Toby Jones. However, both main stars missed out on acting prizes.

Marisa Abela won best leading actress for Industry. She beat Billie Piper and Anna Maxwell Martin to take home the award.

Lennie James won best leading actor for Mr Loverman. Ariyon Bakare took home best supporting actor for his role in the same series.

James expressed surprise at his win, calling it a "fantastic honour." He thanked fellow nominees like David Tennant and Martin Freeman.

Bakare dedicated his award to those who fear being themselves. He said it stands on their shoulders.

Abela described her win as "insane." She noted she was cast while finishing drama school.

Ruth Jones won best female comedy performance for Gavin & Stacey: The Finale. She accepted her award in character as Nessa, saying it was "immense."

Jones humorously recalled winning a Bafta in 1976 for a different category. She thanked James Corden for their long collaboration over 17 years.

Host Alan Cumming joked with Rob Brydon about a famous fishing trip from Gavin & Stacey. They promised to revisit it next year.

Danny Dyer won best male comedy performance for Mr Bigstuff. He joked about being "choked up" by his win and thanked co-star Harriet Webb.

Dyer praised writer Ryan Sampson as "the best thing to come out of Rotherham." He humorously acknowledged Sampson's unique writing style.

Blue Lights was named best drama series this year. Alma's Not Normal won best scripted comedy, while EastEnders took home best soap after 40 years on air.

The Traitors lost all three nominations; Jury: Murder Trial won best reality series instead. Jessica Gunning from Baby Reindeer won best supporting actress, adding another accolade to her collection.

Gunning expressed gratitude during her speech and reflected on her journey in acting. She thanked co-star Richard Gadd, wishing him a happy birthday playfully.

Rylan Clark and Rob Rinder received an award for their travel series Rob & Rylan's Grand Tour. Clark shared how they were unsure what they were creating initially but were thrilled with their success.

Rinder thanked their mothers for supporting them throughout their careers. Clark jokingly requested a bigger styling budget now that they've won a Bafta.

Would I Lie To You? was named best entertainment programme after eight nominations without a win before this year. Lee Mack made light of their previous losses during his acceptance speech.

Kirsty Wark received the Bafta Fellowship, recognizing her contributions over 30 years at BBC Two's Newsnight. Wark called it a privilege to be honored in this way.

BBC Breakfast’s Post Office Special earned the news coverage award this year while BBC Sport’s Paris 2024 Olympics took home the sport coverage prize.

Strictly Come Dancing won the memorable moment prize voted by the public for Chris McCausland’s waltz performance with Dianne Buswell as his partner.

Buswell humorously mentioned McCausland’s absence due to driving himself to events but read out his message thanking everyone involved.

Their dance told a powerful story of hope and resilience through its creative presentation involving lights going dark temporarily before resuming with pyrotechnics.