BAFTA returns for 2025’s ceremony of celebrating the stars of the small screen with the iconic golden mask trophies.
Alan Cumming, the national treasure with a lengthy resume in film blockbusters and television presenting, hosted the event, bringing smoothly laced humour in his skits between winners on stage. Here are some of the most memorable moments of the evening.
Cumming presented the BAFTA Fellowship to Kirsty Wark for her exceptional contribution to television. The presenter and journalist previously presented BBC’s Newsnight programme for 30 years until leaving last July. Cumming calls her “a legend of many fields”, including politics and cultural commentary, and in Scotland, where she’s a “total legend”.
For the only award voted for tonight by the public – the memorable moment – Strictly Come Dancing scooped the prize. In one of the most hotly contested categories of the night, the winners were Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell (who won the Glitter Ball last season) for their waltz to You’ll Never Walk Alone on Strictly Come Dancing.
The beloved comedian was not there to accept the award, but Buswell joked about his absence as she accepted the award. “This is what happens when he [McCausland] insists on driving himself to these events,” she said, adding that McCausland “told me to say that”.
The other nominees were:
- Bridgerton – Colin admits his true feelings for Penelope (Netflix)
- Gavin & Stacey: The Finale – Smithy’s Wedding: Mick Stands Up (BBC One)
- Mr Bates Vs The Post Office – Jo Hamilton phones the Horizon helpline (ITV1)
- Rivals – Rupert Campbell-Black and Sarah Stratton are caught in a game of naked tennis (Disney+)
- The Traitors – “Paul isn’t my son… but Ross is!” (BBC One)
Elsewhere, ITV won the aptly titled Special Award for commissioning the “unconventional, stand-alone” drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office. The drama influenced policy change and was debated in Parliament within three weeks of its release.
Presented by Baroness Floella Benjamin, she declared that the drama “brought dynamic change. That is why BAFTA is awarding the prestigious special television award for ITV.”
Gwyneth Hughes, writer of the show, collected the award with director James Strong. Her speech was a definite highlight of the evening.
“All of our thanks go to Alan Bates and the sub-post masters who trusted us to tell their story. We wanted the nation to hear them. And we want to also thank everyone who watched the show, got angry and demanded change.”
Ruth Jones won Best Female Performance in a Comedy for the finale of universally cherished Gavin & Stacey.
“I’m not gonna lie, this is immense,” Jones says in her trademark Nessa accent.
As for the male counterpart, Danny Dyer collected his first ever BAFTA for his performance in the Sky comedy Mr Bigstuff.
“I’m choked up,” he said, “I’d like to dedicate this to Ryan Sampson, one of the greatest things to come out of Rotherham.”
“One of the best actors this country has produced who has never done something twice, which is more than I can say for myself,” he added.
The ceremony screened on BBC One in the UK and BritBox in the U.S. Below is the complete list of winners (in bold) and nominees for the BAFTA TV Awards 2025.
Drama Series
WINNER: Blue Lights (BBC)
Sherwood (BBC)
Supacell (Netflix)
Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light (BBC)
Limited Drama
Baby Reindeer (Netflix)
Lost Boys and Fairies (BBC One)
WINNER: Mr Bates vs the Post Office (ITV)
One Day (Netflix)
International
After The Party (Channel 4)
Colin From Accounts (BBC)
Say Nothing Disney+)
WINNER: Shōgun (Disney+)
True Detective: Night Country (Sky Atlantic)
You Are Not Alone: Fighting The Wolfpack (Netflix)
Leading Actress
Anna Maxwell Martin, Until I Kill You (ITV)
Billie Piper, Scoop (Netflix)
Lola Petticrew, Say Nothing (Disney+)
WINNER: Marisa Abela, Industry (BBC)
Monia Dolan, Mr Bates vs the Post Office (ITV)
Sharon D Clarke, Mr Loverman (BBC)
Leading Actor
David Tennant, Rivals (Disney+)
Gary Oldman, Slow Horses (Apple TV+)
WINNER: Lennie James, Mr Loverman (BBC)
Martin Freeman, The Responder (BBC)
Richard Gadd, Baby Reindeer (Netflix)
Toby Jones, Mr Bates vs the Post Office (ITV)
Female Performance In A Comedy
Anjana Vasan, We Are Lady Parts (Channel 4)
Kate O’Flynn, Everyone Else Burns Channel 4)
Lolly Adefope, The Franchise (Sky)
Nicola Coughlan, Big Mood (Channel 4)
WINNER: Ruth Jones, Gavin & Stacey (BBC)
Sophie Willan, Alma’s Not Normal (BBC)
Male Performance In A Comedy
Bilal Hasna, Extraordinary (Disney+)
WINNER: Danny Dyer, Mr Big Stuff (Sky)
Dylan Thomas-Smith, G’wed (ITV)
Nabhaan Rizwan, Kaos (Netflix)
Oliver Savell, Changing Ends (ITV)
Phil Dunning, Smoggie Queens (BBC)
Supporting Actor
WINNER: Ariyon Bakare, Mr Loverman (BBC)
Christopher Chung, Slow Horses (Apple TV+)
Damian Lewis, Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light(BBC)
Jonathan Pryce, Slow Horses (Apple TV+)
McKinley Belcher III, Eric (Netflix)
Sonny Walker, The Gathering (Channel 4)
Supporting Actress
WINNER: Jessica Gunning, Baby Reindeer (Netflix)
Katherine Parkinson, Rivals (Disney+)
Maxine Peake, Say Nothing (Disney+)
Monica Dolan, Sherwood (BBC One)
Nava Mau, Baby Reindeer (Netflix)
Sue Johnston, Truelove (Channel 4)
Scripted Comedy
WINNER: Alma’s Not Normal (BBC)
Brassic (Sky Max)
G’Wed (ITV1)
Ludwig (BBC)
Entertainment
The 1% Club (ITV)
Michael McIntyre’s Big Show (BBC)
Taskmaster (Channel 4)
WINNER: Would I Lie To You? (BBC)
Entertainment Performance
Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway (ITV)
Claudia Winkleman, The Traitors (BBC)
Graham Norton, The Graham Norton Show (BBC)
WINNER: Joe Lycett, Late Night Lycett (Channel 4)
Romesh Ranganathan and Rob Beckett, Rob & Romesh Vs (Sky)
Stacey Solomon, Sort Your Life Out (BBC)
Specialist Factual
WINNER: Atomic People (BBC)
Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story (National Geographic)
Children of the Cult (ITV)
Miners’ Strike 1984: The Battle For Britain (Channel 4)
Reality
Dragons’ Den (BBC)
WINNER: The Jury: Murder Trial (Channel 4)
Love Is Blind (Netflix)
The Traitors (BBC)
Current Affairs
Storyville: Life and Death in Gaza (BBC)
Maternity: Broken Trust (ITV)
WINNER: State of Rage (Channel 4)
Ukraine’s War: The Other Side (ITV)
Short Form
Brown Brit (Channel 4)
Peaked (Channel 4)
WINNER: Quiet Life (BBC)
Spud (BBC)
Factual Entertainment
In Vogue: The 90s (Vogue Studios, Disney+)
Race Across The World (BBC)
WINNER: Rob and Rylan’s Grand Tour (BBC)
Sort Your Life Out (BBC)
Factual Series
American Nightmare (Netflix)
Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams on Tour (BBC)
The Push: Murder on the Cliff (Channel 4)
WINNER: To Catch a Copper (Channel 4)
Live Event Coverage
D-Day 80: Tribute To The Fallen (BBC)
WINNER: Glastonbury 2024 (BBC)
Last Night of The Proms (BBC)
News Coverage
WINNER: BBC Breakfast: Post Office Special (BBC One)
Channel 4 News: Inside Sednaya (Channel 4)
Channel 4 News: Undercover Inside Reform’s Campaign (Channel 4)
Single Documentary
Hell Jumper (BBC Two)
Tell Them You Love Me (Sky Documentaries)
WINNER: Ukraine: Enemy In The Woods (BBC Two)
Undercover: Exposing The Far Right (Channel 4)
Soap
Casualty (BBC One)
Coronation Street (ITV1)
WINNER: EastEnders (BBC One)
Sport
Euro 2024 (BBC)
WINNER: Paris 2024 Olympics (BBC)
Wimbledon (BBC)
Daytime
WINNER: Clive Myrie’s Caribbean Adventure (BBC)
Loose Women (ITV1)
Morning Live (BBC)
Richard Osman’s House of Games (BBC)
Children’s Non-Scripted
BoosNoo! (Sky)
WINNER: FYI Investigates: Disability and Me (Sky)
Operation Ouch! (CBBC)
Reu and Harper’s Wonder World (Channel 5)
Children’s Scripted
WINNER: CBeebies As You Like It at Shakespeare’s Globe (CBeebies)
Horrible Histories (CBBC)
Ready Eddie Go! (Sky Kids)
Tweedy & Fluff (Channel 5)
