After winning just about everything else, there was an inevitability about Mr. Bates vs The Post Office claiming an early accolade as the annual TV BAFTA Awards got underway on Sunday evening. 

Widely expected to claim much of Sunday evening’s spotlight, the groundbreaking ITV drama got off to an auspicious start by claiming the award for Limited Drama in front of a full house at London’s Royal Festival Hall. 

Accepting the gong from Russell Tovey and Daniel Mays, producer Patrick Spencer said: ‘We could only film this because Polly Hill at ITV saved us from getting cancelled and this story only had the impact it did because the people who watched it stood up as one and demanded action with such rage, that the government had no choice but to respond. 

‘Our show didn’t change the law, the people of this nation did. They showed in their response to Mr. Bates vs The Post Office that our country cannot abide liars and bullies.’ 

He added: ‘May it be a warning to those who are supposed to have our backs, that they better not abuse their power.

‘When accepting this award, we would like to go on record that being trusted by the post-masters to tell their story has been the greatest privilege of our lives.’  

Former sub-postmasters Jo Hamilton and Sir Alan Bates were on hand to collect the TV Bafta for Limited Drama at London’s Royal Festival Hall on Sunday evening

The night began with Jessica Gunning collecting the award for Best Actress after winning accolades for her portrayal of crazed stalker Martha in Richard Gatt’s hugely successful Netflix drama Baby Reindeer

More than 700 subpostmasters were prosecuted by the Government-owned organisation and handed criminal convictions between 1999 and 2015 as Fujitsu’s faulty Horizon system made it appear as though money was missing at their branches. 

Former subpostmaster Sir Alan Bates, who was onstage to collect the award on Sunday evening, had his contract terminated by the Post Office in 2003 after refusing to accept liability for shortfalls in the accounts at his branch in Llandudno, North Wales.

A 2024 inquiry heard he first raised issues with the Horizon system in 2000, and on one day in December of that year he called the Post Office helpline seven times, with one call lasting around an hour. 

The night began with Jessica Gunning collecting the award for Best Actress after winning accolades for her portrayal of crazed stalker Martha in Richard Gatt’s hugely successful Netflix drama Baby Reindeer. 

Presented to Gunning by Adolescence stars Owen Cooper and Erin Doherty, the win served as a curtain-raiser for an event in which major TV networks will hope to outmuscle rival streaming services in the battle for public affection. 

But while her award was expected, Danny Dyer served up an early surprise by winning Male Performance in a Comedy for his starring role in Sky Comedy show Mr. Bigstuff. 

Evidently delighted, Dyer credited his family – among them Love Island star daughter Dani – in a profanity-laden acceptance speech that broke ITV’s strict watershed. 

‘What a touch!’ he told the audience. ‘The acting was so bad it was funny. F***ing hell. Girls, Donny and Dani… I’ve done it girls, I’ve f***ing done it.’ 

Elsewhere it was a special night for Ruth Jones, who accepted the award for female Performance in a Comedy after playing the iconic Nessie for a final time in December’s Gavin & Stacey finale.  

Meanwhile, the BBC won its first TV BAFTA in an astonishing 33-years for its extensive Live Event Coverage of the Glastonbury Festival at Somerset’s Worthy Farm. 

2025 TV BAFTA NOMINATIONS

Drama Series 

Blue Lights (BBC One)

Sherwood (BBC One)

Supacell (Netflix)

Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light (BBC One)

Limited Drama 

Baby Reindeer (Netflix)

Lost Boys and Fairies (BBC One)

Mr Bates vs the Post Office (ITV1)

One Day (Netflix)

International 

After The Party (Channel 4)

Colin From Accounts (BBC Two)

Say Nothing (Disney+)

Shogun (Disney+)

True Detective: Night Country (Sky Atlantic)

You Are Not Alone: Fighting The Wolfpack, Netflix

Shogun (Disney+) is up for the Best International TV Show award 

Leading Actress 

Anna Maxwell Martin, Until I Kill You (ITV1)

Billie Piper, Scoop (Netflix)

Lola Petticrew, Say Nothing (Disney+)

Marisa Abela, Industry (BBC One)

Monia Dolan, Mr Bates Vs The Post Office (ITV1)

Sharon D Clarke, Mr Loverman (BBC One)

Leading Actor 

David Tennant, Rivals (Disney+)

Gary Oldman, Slow Horses (Apple TV+)

Lennie James, Mr Loverman (BBC One)

Martin Freeman, The Responder (BBC One)

Richard Gadd, Baby Reindeer (Netflix)

Toby Jones, Mr Bates Vs The Post Office (ITV1)

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 Comedy)

Nicola Coughlan, Big Mood (Channel 4)

Ruth Jones, Gavin & Stacey (BBC One)

Sophie Willan, Alma’s Not Normal (BBC Two) 

David Tennant is up for the Leading Actor award for his role in Rivals

Scripted Comedy 

Alma’s Not Normal (BBC Two)

Brᴀssic (Sky Max)

G’Wed (ITV1)

Ludwig (BBC One)

Specialist Factual 

Atomic People (BBC Two)

Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story (National Geographic)

Children of the Cult (ITV1)

Miners’ Strike 1984: The Battle For Britain (Channel 4)

Reality  

Dragons’ Den (BBC One)

The Jury: Murder Trial (Channel 4)

Love Is Blind (Channel 4)

The Traitors (BBC One)

Current Affairs 

Storyville: Life and Death in Gaza (BBC)

Maternity: Broken Trust (ITV1)

State of Rage (Channel 4)

Ukraine’s War: The Other Side (ITV1)

Shortform

Brown Brit (Channel 4)

Peaked (Channel 4)

Quiet Life (BBC Three)

Spud (BBC Three)

BBC’s Race Across The World is nominated is Factual Entertainment

Factual Entertainment 

In Vogue: The 90s (Vogue Studios, Disney+)

Race Across The World (BBC One)

Rob and Rylan’s Grand Tour (BBC Two)

Sort Your Life Out (BBC One)

Children’s Scripted 

CBeebies As You Like It at Shakespeare’s Globe (CBeebies)

Horrible Histories (CBBC)

Ready Eddie Go! (Sky Kids)Tweedy & Fluff (Channel 5)  

P&O Cruises Memorable Moment

Bridgerton: The carriage scene, where Colin admits his true feelings for Penelope (Netflix)

Gavin & Stacey: The Finale: Smithy’s wedding, when 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+)

Strictly Come Dancing: Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell waltz to You’ll Never Walk Alone (BBC One)

Traitors: “Paul isn’t my son … but Ross is!” (BBC One)

Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell’s Strictly waltz are up for P&O Cruises Memorable Moment

Male Performance in a Comedy Performance 

Bilal Hasna, Extraordinary (Disney+)

Danny Dyer, Mr Big Stuff (Sky Comedy)

Dylan Thomas-Smith, G’wed (ITV2)

Nabhaan Rizwan, Kaos (Netflix)

Oliver Savell, Changing Ends (ITV1)

Phil Dunning, Smoggie Queens (BBC Three)

Danny Dyer is up for Male Performance in a Comedy Performance for Mr Big Stuff

Supporting Actor

Ariyon Bakare, Mr Loverman (BBC One)

Christopher Chung, Slow Horses (Apple TV+)

Damian Lewis, Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light (BBC One)

Jonathan Pryce, Slow Horses (Apple TV+)

McKinley Belcher III, Eric (Netflix)

Sonny Walker, The Gathering (Channel 4) 

Supporting Actress 

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)

The 1% Club is up for Best Entertainment Show

Entertainment 

The 1% Club (ITV1)

Michael McIntyre’s Big Show (BBC One)

Taskmaster (Channel 4)

Would I Lie To You? (BBC One)

Entertainment Performance

Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway (ITV1)

Claudia Winkleman, The Traitors (BBC One)

Graham Norton, The Graham Norton Show (BBC One)

Joe Lycett, Late Night Lycett (Channel 4)

Romesh Ranganathan and Rob Beckett, Rob & Romesh Vs (Sky Max)

Stacey Solomon, Sort Your Life Out (BBC One) 

Factual Series 

American Nightmare (Netflix)

Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams on Tour (BBC One)

The Push: Murder on the Cliff (Channel 4)

To Catch a Copper (Channel 4)

Stacey Solomon is up for Entertainment Performance for Sort Your Life Out

Live Event Coverage 

D-Day 80: Tribute To The Fallen (BBC One)

Glastonbury 2024 (BBC Two)

Last Night of The Proms (BBC Two)

News Coverage 

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)

Ukraine: Enemy In The Woods (BBC Two)

Undercover: Exposing The Far Right (Channel 4)

Soap 

Casualty (BBC One)

Coronation Street (ITV1)

EastEnders (BBC One)

Sport 

Euro 2024 (BBC Sport)

Paris 2024 Olympics (BBC Sport)

Wimbledon (BBC Sport)

Loose Women is up for Best Daytime Show

Daytime 

Clive Myrie’s Caribbean Adventure (BBC Two)

Loose Women (ITV1)

Morning Live (BBC One)

Richard Osman’s House of Games (BBC Two)

Children’s Non Scripted 

BoosNoo! (Sky Kids)

FYI Investigates: Disability and Me (Sky Kids)

Operation Ouch! (CBBC)

Reu and Harper’s Wonder World (Channel 5)