Warwick Davis was honoured at Sunday’s EE BAFTA Awards with its highest honour, the Fellowship.
The actor, 55, reduced viewers to tears as he paid tribute in his acceptance speed to his late wife Samantha – who tragically died last year aged 53.
But he also gave a shout out to a mystery person as he thanked someone referred to as ‘Sponge’ for helping him to ‘love again’.
Fighting back tears, his voice broke as he said: ‘Special mention should go to Sponge, you know who you are.
‘Thank you for showing me that life can still have meaning and for helping me to laugh and to love again.’
The message left fans speculating the idenтιтy of the mystery ‘Sponge’ who has helped the Harry Potter star through a difficult year, and wished the pair happiness.
Warwick Davis was honoured at Sunday’s EE BAFTA Awards with its highest honour, the Fellowship – where he gave a shout out to someone called ‘Sponge’
The actor reduced viewers to tears as he paid tribute in his acceptance speed to his late wife Samantha – who tragically died last year aged 53 (Seen in 2015)
BAFTAS 2025: WINNERS AT A GLANCE
Best Film – Conclave
Best Actor – Adrian Brody
Best Actress – Mikey Madison, Anora
Best Supporting Actor – Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Best Supporting Actress – Zoe Saldana, Emilia Perez
Best Director – The Brutalist, Brady Corbet
Outstanding British Film – Conclave
Original Screenplay – A Real Pain, Jesse Einsenberg
Rising Star Award – David Jonsson
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Taking to X, formerly Twitter, viewers said: ‘Who’s sponge?’;
‘Congratulations Warwick Davis What a legend !and what a speech! Hope he and Sponge have a wonderful life together. He dedicated award to his late wife,’;
‘Warwick Davis is some man. What a legend, and what a speech! Hope he and Sponge have a wonderful life together.’
The actor was among the stars honoured at last night’s ceremony held at the Royal Festival Hall – but he received the academy’s top accolade, the BAFTA Fellowship.
He became emotional as he dedicated the award to his beloved wife, as he said: ‘Above all I would like to dedicate and thank my wonderful wife Sammy who died almost a year ago.
‘She was always so supportive of my career and encouraged me to grab every opportunity with both hands.’
Samantha – who was herself an actor – had been married to Warwick for 33 years, welcoming three children together, before her devastating death on March 24.
Taking to the stage to a standing ovation, he began his speech: ‘This is probably the best thing that has ever happened to me… and I’ve been in Star Wars!
The actor was among the stars honoured at last night’s ceremony held at the Royal Festival Hall – but he received the academy’s top accolade, the BAFTA Fellowship
The message left fans speculating the idenтιтy of the mystery ‘Sponge’ who has helped the Harry Potter star through a difficult year, and wished the pair happiness
Samantha – who was herself an actor – had been married to Warwick for 33 years, welcoming three children together, before her devastating death on March 24 (Seen at their wedding in 1991)
‘I’m going to keep this short, it’s been a long night… short, yes you can laugh.’
Warwick went on: ‘I’m going to say thank you to my mum, my first agent, she’s the reason I am here tonight.’
He then thanked all his team who supported him throughout his career and shared the award with them, before amending: ‘Sod that. I’ve done all the work, it’s for me! This is all mine.’
Their daughter Annabelle, 27, and son Harrison, 21, were both seen crying in the audience as their dad thanked them helping him get through the tough year.
He said: ‘Since then, life has been pretty tough for me but thanks to the support of our wonderful children Annabelle and Harrison, I’ve been able to continue working and engaging in life.’
Star Wars actor Warwick paid an emotional tribute to Samantha, who he described as his ‘favourite human’ following her death.
‘Her pᴀssing has left a huge hole in our lives as a family,’ the 54-year-old said in a statement. ‘I miss her hugs.’
He described Sammy, as he called her, as his ‘most trusted confidant and an ardent supporter of everything I did in my career’.
Star Wars actor Warwick paid an emotional tribute to Samantha, who he described as his ‘favourite human’ following her death
Warwick added: ‘She was a unique character, always seeing the sunny side of life. She had a wicked sense of humour and always laughed at my bad jokes.’
The couple’s children, Harrison and Annabelle, said ‘her love and happiness carried us through our whole lives’. ‘Mum is our best friend and we’re honoured to have received a love like hers,’ they added.
Samantha was diagnosed with achondroplasia, a bone growth disorder that causes dwarfism, as a child.
WHAT IS SEPSIS
Sepsis occurs when the body reacts to an infection by attacking its own organs and tissues.
48,000 people die from sepsis every year in the UK. Worldwide, someone dies from the condition every 3.5 seconds.
Sepsis symptoms include:
Slurred speech or confusionExtreme shivering or muscle painPᴀssing no urine in a daySevere breathlessnessIt feels like you are dyingSkin mottled or discolouredUnder fives may be vomiting repeatedly, not feeding or not urinating for 12 hours.
Anyone can develop sepsis but it is most common in people who have recently had surgery, have a urinary catheter or have stayed in hospital for a long time.
Other at-risk people include those with weak immune systems, chemotherapy patients, pregnant women, the elderly and the very young.
Treatment varies depending on the site of the infection but involves antibiotics, IV fluids and oxygen, if necessary.
Source: UK Sepsis Trust and NHS Choices
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Her husband is affected by a similar condition, spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita. It meant he never grew taller than 3ft 6in.
Warwick said his wife’s mobility had become impaired in recent years but shared how she was determined not to let it bring her down.
He had kept vigil at his wife Samantha’s hospital bedside as she fought for her life against sepsis five years before her death aged 53.
She fell ill with sepsis in 2019 which led to intensive care treatment. This followed operations on her spine that were undertaken at University College London Hospital.
Their family had been gearing up for a caravan holiday in 2019 when Samantha suddenly fell ill with a mystery condition, something she put down to stress.
However, within days she was at death’s door with doctors telling her terrified husband that she had sepsis, a rare condition which sees the body’s immune system attack its own organs and tissues.
In 2022 Warwick opened up about Samantha’s health issues as he revealed she initially had a sensation of itchiness and exhaustion, but concern grew when she was unable to stand up.
Warwick called an out of hours doctor who told them to immediately go to their nearest A&E as they were worried she might have sepsis.
On arrival doctors examined Samantha and quickly became concerned about a scar on her back from a recent spinal surgery that was ‘inflamed with fluid, red, and hot to touch’.
Tests came back showing she had a deadly Streptococcus bacteria and meningitis infection, meaning she needed emergency surgery.
He told The Sun: ‘The next few hours were the longest of my life as I waited on the ward with our children in the empty space left by Sam’s hospital bed. I hoped it would not symbolise a future for us without her.’
The ordeal left Samantha in intensive care with doctors flooding her body with antibiotics in a bid to save her life.
The infection had ‘ravaged every cell in her body’, leaving Samantha extremely weak and her family worried about whether she would pull through.
Warwick continued: ‘Our family gathered by her bedside; although optimistic, we were sort of saying goodbye in case Sam didn’t survive.’
‘It’s so hard to see someone you love more than anything in the world fighting to stay alive without the strength to even roll over in bed.’
Samantha was able to battle through the disease, although it took three months – and the constant companionship of her husband – to nurse her back to full health.
Samantha was diagnosed with achondroplasia, a bone growth disorder that causes dwarfism, as a child (Seen with Warwick)
However, while Samantha physically recovered, the illness left its mark on both her and Warwick.
‘I broke down every night thinking that this terrible illness that came out of nowhere might take my soulmate away from me,’ he told The Sun.
‘We never take life for granted now, living each day as if it were our last. I appreciate and cherish every moment that Sam and I spend together.’
It was revealed last month that Warwick is suing a London hospital alleging medical negligence following Samantha’s death.
The inquest, which was adjourned to a future date ‘as quickly as possible’, is expected to hear whether the treatment Samantha received at University College London Hospital for a spinal condition contributed to her death.
Samantha met her husband of 33 years when she had an uncredited role in his 1988 film Willow.
The couple had been through struggles before, including losing two children.
After her death, Warwick said he felt like he could achieve anything with his wife by his side and that it felt like he had a ‘superpower’.
BAFTA 2025 WINNERS
BEST FILM
Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave – WINNER
Emilia Pérez
OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
Bird
Blitz
Conclave – WINNER
Gladiator II
Hard Truths
Kneecap
Lee
Love Lies Bleeding
The Outrun
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
Hoard – Luna Carmoon (director, writer)
Kneecap – Rich Peppiatt (director, writer) – WINNER
Monkey Man – Dev Patel (director)
Santosh – Sandhya Suri (director, writer), James Bowsher (producer), Balthazar De Ganay (producer) [also produced by Alan McAlex, Mike Goodridge]
Sister Midnight – Karan Kandhari (director, writer)
BEST CHILDREN’S AND FAMILY FILM
Flow
Kensuke’s Kingdom
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl – WINNER
The Wild Robot
BEST FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
All We Imagine As Light
Emilia Pérez – WINNER
I’m Still Here
Kneecap
The Seed of the Sacred Fig
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Black Box Diaries
Daughters
No Other Land
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story – WINNER
Will & Harper
BEST ANIMATED FILM
Flow
Inside Out 2
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl – WINNER
The Wild Robot
BEST CHILDREN’S AND FAMILY FILM
Flow
Kensuke’s Kingdom
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot
BEST DIRECTOR
Anora – Sean Baker
The Brutalist – Brady Corbet – WINNER
Conclave – Edward Berger
Dune: Part Two – Denis Villeneuve
Emilia Pérez – Jacques Audiard
The Substance – Coralie Fargeat
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Anora
The Brutalist
Kneecap
A Real Pain – WINNER
The Substance
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
A Complete Unknown
Conclave – WINNER
Emilia Pérez
Nickel Boys
Sing Sing
BEST LEADING ACTRESS
Cynthia Erivo – Wicked
Karla Sofía Gascón – Emilia Pérez
Marianne Jean-Baptiste – Hard Truths
Mikey Madison – Anora – WINNER
Demi Moore – The Substance
Saoirse Ronan – The Outrun
BEST LEADING ACTOR
Adrien Brody – The Brutalist – WINNER
Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown
Colman Domingo – Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes – Conclave
Hugh Grant – Heretic
Sebastian Stan – The Apprentice
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Selena Gomez – Emilia Pérez
Ariana Grande – Wicked
Felicity Jones – The Brutalist
Jamie Lee Curtis – The Last Showgirl
Isabella Rossellini – Conclave
Zoe Saldaña – Emilia Pérez – WINNER
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Yura Borisov – Anora
Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain – WINNER
Clarence Maclin – Sing Sing
Edward Norton – A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce – The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong – The Apprentice
BEST CASTING
Anora – WINNER
The Apprentice
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Kneecap
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Brutalist – WINNER
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Nosferatu
BEST EDITING
Anora
Conclave – WINNER
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Kneecap
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Blitz
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Nosferatu
Wicked – WINNER
BEST MAKE-UP AND HAIR
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Nosferatu
The Substance – WINNER
Wicked
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Brutalist – WINNER
Conclave
Emilia Pérez
Nosferatu
The Wild Robot
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
Wicked – WINNER
BEST SOUND
Blitz
Dune: Part Two – WINNER
Gladiator II
The Substance
Wicked
BEST VISUAL SPECIAL EFFECTS
Better Man
Dune: Part Two – WINNER
Gladiator II
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Wicked
BEST BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION
Adiós
Mog’s Christmas
Wander to Wonder – WINNER
BEST BRITISH SHORT FILM
The Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing
Marion
Milk
Rock, Paper, Scissors – WINNER
Stomach Bug
RISING STAR AWARD (VOTED FOR BY THE PUBLIC)
Marisa Abela
Jharrel Jerome
David Jonsson – WINNER
Mikey Madison
Nabhaan Rizwan
