Was gritty cop show Happy Valley snubbed at last night’s TV Bafta Awards after losing out to gangland thriller Top Boy for the best drama gong? Some at Bafta’s glittering after-show party certainly thought so.
But Happy Valley star Sarah Lancashire didn’t seem to care.
The 59-year-old, who took home the leading actress award for her portrayal of West Yorkshire police officer Catherine Cawood, was in a jubilant and even tearful mood last night.
The after-show party, held at London’s Royal Festival Hall, is one of the hottest tickets on the British TV industry calendar.
And as guests tucked into a main course of roast chicken or cauliflower, croquettes and salad, Ms Lancashire was practically mobbed by her supporters.
Sarah Lancashire won the Leading 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 lighted 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 sipping from an open bottle of wine. beer.
The women, both from Oldham, Manchester, have been friends for almost 50 years and although Finneran, also star of Downton Abbey, missed out on the supporting actress gong, she was celebrating her best friend’s achievement.
Fellow actor Brian Cox was not in such a celebratory mood, however, as he was beaten in the Leading Actor category by Timothy Spall, who won his first Bafta at the age of 67, after previous nominations, for his role in the BBC’s hit The Sixth. Commandment.
While Spall was nowhere to be seen at the party, Cox sat at 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 in the HBO hit, attempted to leave at 10 p.m., even placing his wife’s scarf on her shoulders, but was repeatedly stopped by adoring fans taking selfies wanted to make.
Meanwhile, Bobby Brazier, 20, who came runner-up on Strictly Come Dancing last year, told the Mail that rumors he is dating his EastEnders co-star Jazzy Phoenix, 23, were absolutely untrue.
Instead, he appeared to be chatting to Married At First Sight star Ella Morgan, 29. At a table surrounded by glittering guests, the pair only seemed to 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 throughout the night.
He told the Mail that his future plans were to remain in reality television rather than go the presenting route, but it is expected that he will remain a familiar face at these events.
Over raspberry pudding and an endless supply of £50 Taittinger champagne, members of the cast of Netflix’s royal saga The Crown chatted with the stars of Top Boy, which documents the hardships and violence of life on a London council estate .
And later in the evening, cocktails appeared and guests could choose from a Rhubarb Fool cocktail, a Melon Margarita or a Jasmine Spritz made from a fusion of tea, white rum and Aperol.
Meanwhile, Dominic West, 54, who stars as Prince Charles in The Crown, sat next to Khalid Abdalla, 43, who plays the man Princess Diana spent her final hours with, Dodi Fayed.
Helena Bonham Carter, 57, cut a stylish figure in a floral Vivienne Westwood dress paired with dark tinted sunglasses. She lost out in the Leading Actress category for her role in the biopic Nolly, but still enjoyed playing host to other guests by refilling wine glasses, accompanied by her art historian friend Rye Dag Holmboe, 36.
In contrast, 49-year-old Hannah Waddingham hid in the darkest corner of the room all night, not leaving her seat, while a number of A-listers – including Dame Harriet Walter – pushed their way between the tables to pay her a visit .
Hannah Waddingham left viewers in hysterics as she jokingly took a swig from her hip flask after learning she had lost the Entertainment Bafta to Strictly Come Dancing
Hannah Waddingham (right) hid in the darkest corner of the room all night while a number of A-listers 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 evening, Waddingham was hailed an ‘icon’ by viewers watching the Bafta ceremony at home when she jokingly took a drink from her hip flask after learning she had lost the Entertainment Bafta to Strictly Come Dancing.
Her 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 came home empty-handed.
Acting legends and stars of the show Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, 63, and Jonathan Pryce, 76, chatted softly at one of the tables.
Later, Dame Kristin grabbed daytime TV star Lorraine Kelly, 64, to congratulate her on winning the Special Award for an outstanding contribution to the television industry.
Dame Kristin called a car shortly afterwards and made a ‘French exit’ from the bash, while Lorraine gathered her ITV team for a photo on the terrace overlooking the Thames: a souvenir of an evening of the industry letting their hair down and celebrating . the prize winners, some more surprising than others.
