Last night saw the stars of television gather for the 75th BAFTA Television Awards, for which there were a number of mixed winners.

As predicted, Liverpudlian actress Jodie Comer clinched the Leading Actress gong ahead of Kate Winslet (Mare of Easttown) for her powerful performance as overburdened care worker Sarah in the COVID-based Channel 4 drama Help.

During her acceptance speech, Jodie thanked the carers who had helped with research, saying: “The biggest reward is that they felt truly represented with the telling of this story.”

This was her second win in three years, having previously prevailed for her iconic turn as Villanelle in the first series of BBC One’s Killing Eve.

Additionally, Jodie’s co-star Cathy Tyson surprisingly took home Best Supporting Actress for her brief role as care home patient Polly, ahead of more fancied contenders like Emily Mortimer (The Pursuit of Love) and Jessica Plummer (The Girl Before).

However, Help did miss out on the Best Single Drama accolade, which went to another COVID-based drama in BBC Two’s Together.

Meanwhile, there was double success for another Liverpool production as BBC One’s Time, scored two key wins.

The prison-based drama prevailed in the Best Mini-Series category, while an absent Sean Bean scored his second Best Leading Actor victory for his terrific turn as convicted teacher Mark Cobden.

Despite being nominated twice for both Help and Time, Liverpudlian actor Stephen Graham missed out on a long overdue BAFTA and is now 0 for 6 in terms of recognition.

Unfortunately, Time’s success in the Best Mini-Series field came at the unfortunate expense of the acclaimed Channel 4 series It’s a Sin.

The AIDS-based drama from Russell T Davies controversially missed out on major recognition, with FIVE actors going home empty-handed, including Olly Alexander and Lydia West.

With British performances in American productions now being eligible for BAFTA, an absent Matthew Macfadyen landed his second Best Supporting Actor prize for his turn as power-hungry executive Tom Wambsgans in the third series of HBO’s multi-award-winning drama Succession.

Elsewhere, the autobiographical BBC Three drama In My Skin was deservedly named Best Drama Series, ahead of the likes of Vigil and Unforgotten.

Meanwhile, the hit BBC Two sitcom Motherland prevailed in a strong Best Scripted Comedy field that included the much-fancied We Are Lady Parts.

Bolton-born star Sophie Willan scored the Female Comedy Performance prize for her performance as aspiring comedian Alma Nuttall in BBC Two’s Alma’s Not Normal, while Jamie Demetriou picked up his second Male Comedy Performance award for his returning role as hapless letting agent Stath Charalambos in the Channel 4 sitcom Stath Lets Flats.

Elsewhere, ITV’s Coronation Street picked up the Soap & Continuing Drama prize, while Prime Video’s The Underground Railroad surprisingly won the International accolade ahead of mighty contenders like Mare of Easttown, Squid Game, and Succession.

There was also double success on the night for chef and rapper Big Zuu as he took home two BAFTAs for Best Entertainment Performance and Best Features for his Dave-produced series Big Zuu’s Big Eats.

The rest of the key winners on the night included Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway (Entertainment Programme), The Lateish Show with Mo Gilligan (Comedy Entertainment Programme), The Chase (Daytime), Uprising (Factual), Gogglebox (Reality & Constructed Factual) and The Missing Children (Specialist Factual).

Meanwhile, this year’s recipient of Virgin TV’s Must-See Moment was awarded to Strictly Come Dancing for Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice’s routine in which they performed a silent dance to the chart-topping track “Symphony”.

The sequence overcame stellar competition from other notable moments, including Adele’s reunion with her former teacher in An Audience with Adele, and Ant and Dec’s dig at Downing Street’s lockdown parties on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!.

Finally, the BAFTA Fellowship was awarded to Sir Billy Connolly for his outstanding contributions to television.

Upon receiving the award, the veteran Scottish comedian joked that he is “such a happy man getting these good attendance medals now my career is out the window.”

Last night’s TV BAFTAs were the first since 2019 to be held with an in-person audience, with newly-confirmed Doctor Who actor Ncuti Gatwa amongst the high-profile attendees.

The full list of TV BAFTA winners are…

BEST DRAMA SERIES
IN MY SKIN

BEST MINI-SERIES
TIME

BEST SINGLE DRAMA
TOGETHER

BEST LEADING ACTRESS
Jodie Comer, HELP

BEST LEADING ACTOR
Sean Bean, TIME

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Cathy Tyson, HELP

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Matthew Macfadyen, SUCCESSION

BEST SCRIPTED COMEDY
MOTHERLAND

BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE IN A COMEDY PROGRAMME
Sophie Willan, ALMA’S NOT NORMAL

BEST MALE PERFORMANCE IN A COMEDY PROGRAMME
Jamie Demetriou, STATH LETS FLATS

BEST SOAP & CONTINUING DRAMA
CORONATION STREET

BEST INTERNATIONAL
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

BEST DAYTIME PROGRAMME
THE CHASE

BEST ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMME
ANT & DEC’S SATURDAY NIGHT TAKEAWAY

BEST ENTERTAINMENT PERFORMANCE
Big Zuu, BIG ZUU’S BIG EATS

BEST COMEDY ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMME
THE LATEISH SHOW WITH MO GILLIGAN

BEST FACTUAL SERIES
UPRISING

BEST SINGLE DOCUMENTARY
MY CHILDHOOD, MY COUNTRY – 20 YEARS IN AFGHANISTAN

BEST FEATURES
BIG ZUU’S BIG EATS

BEST REALITY & CONSTRUCTED FACTUAL
GOGGLEBOX

BEST SPECIALIST FACTUAL
THE MISSING CHILDREN

BEST CURRENT AFFAIRS
FEARLESS: THE WOMEN FIGHTING PUTIN (EXPOSURE)

BEST NEWS COVERAGE
ITV NEWS AT TEN: STORMING OF THE CAPITOL

BEST LIVE-EVENT
THE EARTHSHOT PRIZE 2021

BEST SPORT
THE ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX

BEST SHORT FORM PROGRAMME
OUR LAND

VIRGIN TV’S MUST-SEE MOMENT
STRICTLY COME DANCING (Rose and Giovanni’s silent dance to ‘Symphony’)