Gritty crime show Happy Valley was snubbed at the TV Baftas last night after losing to gangster thriller Top Boy for Best Drama? Some at the glittering Bafta after-show party certainly thought so.
But Happy Valley star Sarah Lancashire didn’t seem to mind.
The 59-year-old actress, who took home the lead actress award for her portrayal of West Yorkshire police officer Catherine Cawood, was in a jubilant and, at times, even tearful mood last night.
Held at London’s Royal Festival Hall, the after-show party is one of the hottest entries in the British television industry’s calendar.
And while guests tucked into a main course of roast chicken or cauliflower, croquettes and salad, Lancashire was practically mobbed by her fans.
Sarah Lancashire took home the lead actress award for her role in Happy Valley
Sarah Lancashire was joined at the party by her best friend and on-screen sister, actress Siobhan Finneran, who was the center of attention on the dance floor.
Later, on the lit dance floor at the back of the function room, her best friend and on-screen sister, actress Siobhan Finneran, 58, was the center of attention as she let loose and danced while casually drinking from a bottle open beer
The two women, from Oldham, Manchester, have been friends for almost 50 years, and although Finneran, also a star of Downton Abbey, missed out on the Best Supporting Actress award, she was celebrating her best friend’s achievement.
However, fellow acting giant Brian Cox was in no mood to celebrate, as he was beaten in the leading actor category by Timothy Spall, who won his first Bafta at 67, after previous nominations, for his role in the BBC hit, The Sixth. Commandment.
While Spall was nowhere to be seen at the party, Cox was sitting on the edge of the room with his wife Nicole and his Succession co-star Dame Harriet Walter.
Cox, who was nominated for his role as patriarch Logan Roy on the HBO hit, made an effort to go out at 10 p.m., even putting his wife’s shawl over his shoulders, but was repeatedly stopped by fans who wanted to take a drink. selfies.
Meanwhile, Bobby Brazier, 20, who came second on last year’s Strictly Come Dancing, told the Mail that rumors he is dating his EastEnders co-star Jazzy Phoenix, 23, were categorically false.
Instead, he appeared to be deep in conversation with Married At First Sight star Ella Morgan, 29. At a table surrounded by bright guests, the couple seemed to only have eyes for each other as they sat alone.
Not far behind them was The Traitors winner Harry Clark, who was approached by several industry figures during the night.
He told the Mail that his future plans were to stay in reality TV rather than go down the presenting route, but he is expected to remain a familiar face at these events.
Over raspberry pudding and an endless supply of £50 Taittinger champagne, cast members of Netflix royal saga The Crown chatted to the stars of Top Boy, which documents the hardships and violence of life in a London municipal estate.
And later in the evening, cocktails emerged and guests could choose between a Rhubarb Fool cocktail, a Melon Margarita or a Jasmine Spritz made with a fusion of tea, white rum and Aperol.
Meanwhile, Dominic West, 54, who plays Prince Charles in The Crown, sat next to Khalid Abdalla, 43, who plays the man with whom Princess Diana spent her final hours, Dodi Fayed.
Helena Bonham Carter, 57, cut an elegant figure in a floral Vivienne Westwood dress paired with dark-colored sunglasses. She lost out in the lead actress category for her role in the biopic Nolly, but still happily hosted other guests filling wine glasses, accompanied by her art historian boyfriend Rye Dag Holmboe, from 36 years.
By contrast, Hannah Waddingham, 49, hid all night in the darkest corner of the room and did not leave her seat, while several celebrities – including Dame Harriet Walter – made their way between the tables to pay her a visit.
Hannah Waddingham left viewers in hysterics as she jokingly took a swig from her flask after finding out she had lost the Entertainment Bafta for Strictly Come Dancing.
Hannah Waddingham (right) hid all night in the darkest corner of the room while several celebrities came to chat with her, including Dame Harriet Walter (left).
The women became close in 2020 after Dame Harriet, 73, starred alongside Waddingham in the hit HBO series Ted Lasso.
Earlier in the night, Waddingham was declared an “icon” by viewers watching the Bafta ceremony at home when she jokingly took a drink from her flask after hearing she had lost the Entertainment Bafta for Strictly Come Dancing.
Their table was hidden behind tables dominated by a rather raucous contingent from the spy thriller Slow Horses, which was nominated for two Baftas last night but returned home empty-handed.
Acting legends and stars of the show Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, 63, and Jonathan Pryce, 76, were chatting quietly at one of the tables.
Dame Kristin later called daytime TV star Lorraine Kelly, 64, to congratulate her on winning the Special Award for her outstanding contribution to the television industry.
Shortly afterwards, Dame Kristin hailed a car and made a “French exit” from the party, while Lorraine gathered her ITV team for a photo on the terrace overlooking the Thames – a throwback to an evening in which the industry he let go and celebrated. its winners, some more surprising than others.
