Wolf Hall’s Mark Rylance and Doctor Foster’s Suranne Jones were among the big winners of the night.
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HER dramatic portrayal of a betrayed wife had the nation on the edge of its seat.
And on Sunday night Suranne Jones won the best actress Bafta for her title role in the BBC drama Doctor Foster.
She beat strong competition to win the coveted award, including Cilla star Sheridan Smith, who was nominated for her performance as cancer patient Lisa Lynch in The C-Word.
In a dramatic night at London’s Royal Festival Hall, showbiz glamour took a back seat to political oratory – as some winners used their acceptance speeches to defend the BBC in the face of proposed changes by the government.
It continues to be a golden year for Mark Rylance, who added the best actor Bafta for his turn as Thomas Cromwell in Wolf Hall to his already impressive collection of awards from 2016.
His performance in Cold War thriller Bridge saw him pick up both an Oscar and Bafta film award in February.
"We're a nation of storytellers. Long may that live" Wonderful words frm Mark Rylance on his 2nd BAFTA win this year pic.twitter.com/CRrB1om3tx
— BAFTA (@BAFTA) May 8, 2016
He pipped Idris Elba to the accolade, as well as Ben Whishaw, who was nominated for London Spy, which raised eyebrows for showing explicit gay sex scenes.
While Aidan Turner’s brooding – and often shirtless – portrayal of the gruff Ross Poldark was not enough to see him nominated for best actor, the BBC One hit did win The Radio Times Audience Award, voted by members of the public.
And as well as celebrating the stars of today, the evening took a moment to reflect on the many brilliant names that have been lost over the last year, including Victoria Wood, Sir Terry Wogan, Cilla Black and Ronnie Corbett.
Collecting her best actress award, former Coronation Street actress Miss Jones apologised to the audience for having “terrible baby brain”, having given birth to her first child, a boy, earlier this year.
Miss Jones, who made her name as Karen in the soap, admitted she has come across snobbery since leaving the show.
She said before the ceremony: “I’ve been acting for a long time, I came from a soap opera and sometimes there’s a snobbery around people that come from soap operas but I’ve learned my craft and to be here at the age of 37, I feel incredibly thrilled and proud to be nominated.”
However, the night belonged to Wolf Hall, which won best drama series as well as best actor.
Director Peter Kosminsky was given a standing ovation for his acceptance speech, in which he attacked the proposed changes to the BBC by minister John Whittingdale. He claimed they were reminiscent of ‘those bastions of democracy Russia and North Korea’.
Criticising the proposed executive board that will replace the BBC Trust, he said: It’s not their BBC, it’s your BBC.
“We should stand up and fight for it and not let it go by default and if we don’t it will be gone. It’s time for us to stand up and say no to this dangerous nonsense”.
Mark Rylance also used his best actor acceptance speech as a soapbox for a defence of the BBC, saying: ‘We’re a nation of storytellers, we’re admired around the world for it and long may that live and long may it be a privilege of the people without having to watch commercials.’
Strictly Come Dancing won its first ever Bafta for best entertainment programme, while best supporting actor went to Sir Tom Courtenay for his role in ITV drama Unforgotten.
Taking issue with being called a veteran actor, he joked: ‘It’s not so long since I was most promising newcomer [in 1962].’
Other guests included Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville, who was nominated for male performance in a comedy programme for W1A.
He said: ‘I’m always the bridesmaid at these events. It’s a lovely night out to see lots of mates in our business. It’s nice to be given a nod along the way.’ Sir Lenny Henry received the Bafta Special Award for his contribution to television and his campaigning to increase diversity in the industry. Steptoe and Son and Hancock’s Half Hour writers Ray Galton and Alan Simpson were awarded prestigious Bafta fellowships.
Winners list in full:
Special Award: Lenny Henry
Leading Actor: Mark Rylance, Wolf Hall
Leading Actress: Suranne Jones
Doctor Foster Entertainment Performance: Leigh Francis
Celebrity Juice Scripted Comedy: Peter Kay's Car Share, by Peter Kay, Gill Isles, Sian Gibson, Paul Coleman
Features: The Great British Bake Off, Paolo Proto, Andy Devonshire, Anna Beattie
Soap and continuing drama: EastEnders
Production Team Specialist Factual: Britain's Forgotten Slave Owners
Production Team Comedy and Comedy Entertainment Programme: Have I Got News for You, Richard Wilson, Mark Barrett, Danny Carr, Jo Bunting.
Supporting Actress: Chanel Cresswell, This is England '90
Supporting Actor: Tom Courtenay, Unforgotten Reality and Constucted Factual: First Dates, Nicola Lloyd, Martin Conway, Adam Chapman, Rob Clifford.
Radio Times Audience Award: Poldark Fellowship: Ray Galton & Alan Simpson
Single Drama: Don't Take My Baby, Jack Thorne, Ben Anthony, Pier Wilkie, Aysha Rafaele.
Male Performance in a Comedy Programme: Peter Kay, Peter Kay's Car Share International: Transparent,
Production Team Sport: The Ashes, Bryan Henderson, Mark Lynch, David Lloyd, Ian Ward.
Female Performance in a Comedy Programme: Michaela Coel, Chewing Gum
Live Event: Big Blue
Live Production Team News Coverage: Channel 4 News: Paris Massacre, Jon Snow, Lindsey Hilsum, Jonathan Rugman, Ben de Pear.
Factual series: The Murder Detectives, Ben Brown, Bart Corpe, Neil Grant, Dave Nath.
Mini-series: This Is England '90, Shane Meadows, Mark Herbert, Jack Thorne, Rebekah Wray Rogers.
Current Affairs: Outbreak: The Truth About Ebola, Dan Edge, Sasha Joelle Achilli , Eamonn Matthews, Sarah Waldron.
Single Documentary: My Son the Jihadi, Production Team Entertainment Programme: Strictly Come Dancing, Louise Rainbow,Vinnie Shergill, Sarah James, Nikki Parsons.
Drama Series: Wolf Hall, Peter Kosminsky, Peter Straughan, Mark Pybus, Colin Callender.
Daily Mailand The Independent
