On Sunday night, I attended the Bafta TV Awards as a guest for the very first time. It was a real pinch-me moment. I have been a TV fanatic my entire life and an entertainment journalist for five and a half years. Here I was, brushing shoulders with some of the most talented performers and creators in the industry. One minute, I was walking the red carpet, sipping champagne, watching the awards ceremony, and eating my dinner, having been invited by Prime Video. The next, I was casually passing Danny Dyer, Alex Hassell, Matt Smith, Aimee Lou Wood, and Adjoa Andoh as they chatted with friends, colleagues, and families, letting their hair down as they celebrated one of the biggest nights in British TV.
The whole night was a blast, aside from the agonizing pain from wearing heels for eight hours before changing into flats for the dancefloor. But there were several surreal moments that will stick in my mind for a very long time to come.
Anyone missing a Bafta?
I could not believe my eyes when I went to fetch my bag and coat during the early hours after the Bafta TV Awards. There it was, in all its glory – one of the iconic bronze mask trophies, casually propped up on a shelf of the cloakroom. The afterparty at London's Royal Festival Hall had been popping. Champagne was flowing, the dancefloor was overspilling with partygoers dancing their butts off, and several winners from the night were proudly carrying their trophies everywhere they went. While I trusted the safety of the cloakroom, there is no way I would leave my prize in there if I were a lucky winner. When I congratulated Simon Schama over his Bafta win in the cloakroom queue, he was holding his award with an iron-tight grip. I would do the same.
The Adolescence team knows how to party
We have all heard throughout awards season how the Adolescence family loves to get down – and on Sunday night, I witnessed their celebrations firsthand. They were as glorious as you would hope. Off the back of their many deserving wins – including Best Limited Drama, Best Actor for Stephen Graham, and Best Supporting Actor for Owen Cooper – the team took over a corner of the bar area during the afterparty, hugging, taking photos, chilling on sofas, and singing while everyone else watched on. At one point when I looked over, Hannah Walters was dancing with an epic scrunched expression on her face, a testament to the banging, nostalgic playlist being cranked up by the DJs behind the deck. If she had been on the actual dancefloor, there is no doubt she would have been in the centre of it.
Dancing with A-listers made me miss the tube – it was worth it
The Bafta TV Awards afterparty was genuinely one of the best nights out I have had in a while. At first, I was not sure if it would pop off. The dancefloor was empty, people milling around everywhere having mellow drinks. But then everything changed. Once the DJ started playing the Sugababes, that was the final push the crowd needed to move to the dancefloor, packing every inch of it. Tunes followed from the Scissor Sisters, Whitney Houston, and Natasha Bedingfield, and it just kept getting better and better. At one point, I found myself dancing with the fabulous Angellica Bell, who declared me her dance partner when the people we were with ventured off to get drinks. I will be living off that title for the next week. As I Wanna Dance With Somebody started playing, Anita Rani was living her best life, singing every word in unison with everyone in the room. The vibes were immaculate and were the reason I ended up staying until the early hours.
Poor Seth Rogen being chased around the room
The Bafta TV Awards are obviously a major event in global entertainment, and yet for some reason, a part of me still finds it strange when American Hollywood stars cross the pond to attend. I know it makes no sense – the Baftas are a huge deal – but I cannot help it. Sunday night saw Seth Rogen attend to represent The Studio in the International category, for which they won, while Severance star Adam Scott and former Bafta Rising Star nominee Awkwafina also appeared on stage to present awards. While at dinner at the Royal Festival Hall, I heard whispers about a gaggle of people surrounding Seth in the smoking area, asking for photos. From the sounds of it, he very politely obliged – despite more people apparently trailing him around the venue in the hopes of coveted selfies. I was over the moon to have a photo with the legendary Celia Imrie, who made light of Seth's on-stage quip about only knowing her from her Celebrity Traitors fart. You will be glad to hear – and unsurprised, I am sure – that she was utterly lovely.
I cannot believe my faux pas with comedy royalty
Two years ago, I covered the Bafta TV Awards, interviewing stars on the red carpet and in the winner's press conference. This year marked my first time attending as a guest, and so there were some moments when my adrenaline was racing and I was in a bit of a fluster. Following the ceremony, I made my way down five flights of stairs to the dining area, spotted my table on the seating chart, and headed over. I shuffled around my table trying to spot my name place, but there was a man inadvertently standing in the way. I politely said excuse me, to which the man apologized and moved to allow me some space – and as I looked up, David Mitchell was staring back at me. Rather than say anything remotely smooth to introduce myself to the Last One Laughing UK season two winner, I just stared back awkwardly and then sat down in my seat. Next time I will be cooler, hopefully.
The 2026 Bafta TV Awards are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
