Casualty was crowned the best Soap And Continuing Drama at the BAFTA TV Awards 2021 in London on Sunday night.
The show managed to beat out strong competition from EastEnders, Coronation Street and EastEnders to take home the prestigious accolade.
However, the jubilant cast were hit with technical issues while accepting their gong via video link leaving Bill Bailey and Richard Ayoade to joke about the glitchy stream.
Amazing! Casualty was crowned best Soap And Continuing Drama at the BAFTA TV Awards in London on Sunday (pictured George Rainsford, who plays Ethan Hardy celebrating the news)
The stars appeared from the show’s set on Zoom, but it seemed the router may need some adjustments as their speech was plagued by a poor connection.
As they jumped around and celebrated the good news, the video lagged making it hard to hear what they were saying.
Bill Bailey, who was announcing the award alongside Strictly Come Dancing’s Oti Mabuse, joked: ‘Broadband, if needs be plug it in.’
The video then seemed to behave for a while, although the audio was a little patchy, but the cast managed to get their message across and deliver a poignant speech.
Oh dear: The jubilant cast were hit with technical issues while accepting their gong via video link leaving Bill Bailey and Richard Ayoade to joke about the glitchy stream
They said: ‘Over the past year, a category such as us which dramatises the everyday, the everyday has been uniquely and tragically dramatic. And each of us regardless of age, nationality, gender or belief have been forced to find a hero.
‘So for everybody lost somebody, for everybody who has saved somebody, and for all of those who continue to tell their stories, this is for you. Thank you.’
Host of the night Richard then delivered one of his dry one liners and said to the camera: ‘That said, new router.’
Casualty managed to triumph over the popular TV shows, including Corrie which has had a dramatic year with storylines including Geoff Metcalfe and Yasmeen Nazir’s domestic abuse plot.
Lovely: The Casualty cast dedicated their win to the NHS. Pictured is George Rainsford (Ethan), Charles Venn (Jacob), Amanda Mealing (Connie), Shaheen Jafargholi (Marty), Gabriella Leon (Jade), Will Beck (Dylan), Jason Durr (David), Amanda Henderson (Robyn)
Technical difficulties: Bill Bailey, who was announcing the award alongside Strictly Come Dancing’s Oti Mabuse, joked: ‘Broadband, if needs be plug it in’
Sunday’s BAFTA TV Awards celebrated and rewarded the very best programmes and performances of 2020.
The evening was hosted by Richard Ayoade and featured performances by Years & Years and Alexis Ffrench
While Line Of Duty’s Adrian Dunbar, Bill Bailey, Jon Snow, Oti Mabuse, Rob Beckett, Rose Matafeo, Sanjeev Bhaskar, and Zawe Ashton acted as presenters.
Other guest presenters – Catherine O’Hara, Jon Snow, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jamie Demetriou, Tommy Jessop, Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse – appeared via video call during the ceremony.
There was no mention of Noel Clarke, 45, who has been accused by more than 20 women of sexual harassment and bullying, during the star-studded event. The actor, was suspended from BAFTA amid the allegations after he won the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema award in April.
‘New router’: Host of the night Richard also delivered one of his dry one liners about the less-than-perfect video quality
Triumphant: Casualty managed beat Corrie which has had a jam-packed and dramatic year with storylines including Geoff and Yasmeen’s domestic abuse plot (pictured Casualty cast members Gabriella Leon, William Beck and Jason Durr)
All dressed up: Although not attending the star-studded ceremony, the Casualty cast ensured to look their best on the night (pictured, actress Amanda Mealing)
Following its three wins at the British Academy Television Craft Awards in May, I May Destroy You, won two more BAFTAs on Sunday, for Mini-Series and Leading Actress for Michaela Coel.
The drama series follows a woman who seeks to rebuild her life after a sexual assault.
Elsewhere, the Leading Actor award was won by first-time nominee Paul Mescal for his performance as Connell in Normal People.
Malachi Kirby, another first-time winner, won for his performance in Small Axe in the Supporting Actor category. Small Axe had led this year’s nominations with 15 nods.
And Small Axe – which features five films that tell stories about lives of West Indian immigrants in London from the 1960s to the 1980s – also picked up two Leading Actor nominations with John Boyega and Shaun Parkes both receiving nods.
Big night: I May Destroy You’s Michaela Coel won two awards on the night for Mini-Series and Leading Actress
Emotional: Paul Mescal fought back tears after accepting the prize for Leading Actor, following the huge success of Normal People during the first weeks of the Covid lockdown
Rakie Ayola also won her first BAFTA for Supporting Actress for her performance in Anthony.
Another first-time nominee, Aimee Lou Wood scooped a gong in Female Performance in a Comedy Programme for playing Aimee Gibbs in Sex Education.
Male Performance in a Comedy Programme was awarded to Charlie Cooper for his performance in This Country.
Comedian Romesh Ranganathan received the BAFTA for Entertainment Performance for The Ranganation.
Save Me Too received the BAFTA for Drama Series and Sitting in Limbo won for Single Drama.
Important: Diversity also triumphed, with star Ashley Banjo reflecting on the ‘torrent of abuse’ he received following the troupe’s Black Lives Matter-inspired performance
Shortlist: Diversity’s controversial BGT routine, which sparked 24,000 complaints to media watchdog Ofcom (pictured) was nominated for the BAFTA’s Must-See Moment
The Big Narstie Show won Comedy Entertainment Programme, its first win following its previous nomination in 2019. And the BAFTA for Entertainment Programme was awarded to Life & Rhymes while Scripted Comedy was awarded to Inside No 9.
The School That Tried to End Racism received the BAFTA for Reality & Constructed Factual. Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace won in the Features category. They Saw the Sun First won the BAFTA for Short Form Programme.
Casualty was awarded the BAFTA for Soap & Continuing Drama, its first since 2018. The Great House Giveaway won the BAFTA in the new Daytime category.
News Coverage was awarded to Sky News’ Inside Idlib, and the award for Current Affairs was presented to America’s War on Abortion (Exposure). International was awarded to Welcome to Chechnya: The Gay Purge (Storyville).
Once Upon a Time in Iraq received the BAFTA for Factual Series, Locked In: Breaking the Silence (Storyville) won Single Documentary and The Surgeon’s Cut won Specialist Factual.
Spread out: The guests and nominees all sat spaced out in the venue to abide by Covid safety rules, and all attendees wore masks unless they took to the stage to present an award
England V West Indies Test Cricket triumphed in the Sport category, while the award for Live Event was presented to Springwatch 2020.
And Virgin Media’s Must-See Moment, the only award voted for by the public, was scooped by Britain’s Got Talent for the moment when Diversity performed a routine inspired by the events of 2020.
The category also saw nods to Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) being revealed as Lady Whistledown in Bridgerton and when Luke Skywalker appeared in the climax of The Mandalorian’s second season.
It was revealed earlier this week the awards show would beam celebrities who can’t attend in person onto the red carpet as holograms.
Red carpet presenters Stacey Dooley and Vick Hope introduced the hologram guests to those actually at the socially distanced ceremony.
Covid restrictions meant TV fans couldn’t be in attendance on the red carpet as usual and some nominees weren’t able to attend because of filming bubbles.