A wedding dress, party plans… and Alan Cumming’s four suits

It is trailed as the biggest night in the UK’s TV calendar and the 2025 Bafta TV awards didn’t disappoint. We were on the red carpet before heading backstage to get all the gossip from the winners, grabbing some of the big moments you might have missed. So whether it’s Gavin & Stacey that floats your boat or Baby Reindeer that’s more your thing, read on!

The Sort Your Life Out star was nominated for two Baftas this year and rocked up on the red carpet in a new version of the wedding dress she wore to marry Joe Swash in 2022.

“I decided to have my wedding dress reworked today because wearing it once feels like a travesty,” she told her Instagram followers.

We agree! And it was very in keeping with Stacey’s upcycling hacks that she likes to share.

The Scottish actor and host of the US version of The Traitors greeted us on the red carpet on Sunday afternoon in a black morning-style suit with fabulous white cape detail that looked like angel wings.

Our evening’s host was introduced ahead of his arrival on stage in a video showing him in the Traitors’ turret, jokingly claiming that taking the helm at the Bafta TV awards was “the 12th biggest honour of my life” and promising not to have a wardrobe malfunction (but “whatever pops out pops out.” Oo-er).

The audience seemed to enjoy his gentle – and sometimes acerbic – humour at their expense and he treated us to three, yes THREE, costume changes.

The morning suit was replaced with an electric-blue shiny suit featuring wide-leg trousers, complete with leopard-print shirt and corsage. That later changed to a pale pink suit with silver beading before a final switch to a dark brown velvet number. “I changed again, so sue me,” he told viewers.

Fresh from accepting her Bafta for best female comedy performance for her role in Gavin & Stacey: The Finale opposite James Corden, Jones said: “I love working with James, I really do. And I hope that we will carry on working together… we will. Because we both like sitting in a room together. We do a lot of napping, but we do write as well.”

She said people have stopped asking about whether there will be any more Gavin & Stacey after last year’s special which saw her character Nessa marry Corden’s Smithy. “You don’t really want to think about Ness and Smithy in a domestic situation, putting the bins out.”

The former EastEnders star picked up best male comedy performance for his role in Mr Bigstuff, in which he played one of two estranged brothers with very different personalities who try to rebuild their relationship.

And afterwards he said: “I can’t believe it. Some people will be fuming (at his win). But I’ve earned it. It’s like ‘wow, I’ve made it’.

“I’ve never really done it [comedy], I’ve not been known for it. My first outing in scripted comedy and to nick one of these is mental.”

And what could top that?

A win for his football team earlier that afternoon apparently.

“West Ham beat Man Utd and my future son-in-law [Jarrod Bowen] scored a goal… there’s got to be a catch somewhere!”

The adaptation of Bernadine Everastio’s book Mr Loverman saw both its leading actor (Lennie James) and supporting actor (Ariyon Bakare) win acting prizes.

James described it as “the part of a lifetime” and pointed out that it was rare to have a drama about a “queer, black, old couple… I hope it sparks conversations in the wider community.”

Bakare gave one of the most emotional acceptance speeches of the night and backstage, explained why.

“I was homeless when I was 14. You don’t ever think you’ll do something like this. I’d go in and see half a play, I couldn’t afford to see a whole show.”

Both stars were planning to celebrate in style. James simply told journalists, “I’m going to get wrecked,” while Bakare was planning to “dance around my Bafta like women dance round their handbags”. Why not?

Following a powerful speech about the impact the drama about the Post Office scandal had, the cast and creatives headed backstage to make a plea.

The drama’s writer, Gwyneth Hughes, pointed out that many of the sub-postmasters who were wrongly convicted are still waiting for compensation.

“Several compensation schemes are going on. Some of our main characters have not been paid.”

She said she hoped the Bafta win would raise awareness. “If we’re on the front pages tomorrow… I hope it helps.”

Producer Patrick Spence also made an impassioned entreaty: “It’s not over. We beg you… get the story out.”

When the BBC Breakfast team won the news coverage award later in the evening, it was for a Post Office special. The programme’s editor, Richard Frediani, said: “We’ve even got a story about the Post Office on the programme tomorrow in terms of someone’s campaign for compensation. We will continue to tell their stories and ask questions on their behalf.”

Bafta Fellowship honouree Kirsty Wark, who left BBC Two’s Newsnight programme in 2024 after 30 years, joked that she probably got her award “for being 70, who knows?”

The long-running show was shortened by 15 minutes a year ago and its investigative films were cut. But Wark thinks it will survive.

“If Newsnight wasn’t there, they’d have to reinvent it. I’d bet £500 that Newsnight is safe. You still need that programme at the end of the day to see what just happened.”

Plenty of the stars teased us with nods to possibilities of future series.

Lenny James told us on the red carpet that despite being considered a “limited series”, we may not have seen the back of Mr Loverman: “I don’t know that it’s done.”

Anna Maxwell Martin discussed the possible return of Line of Duty but if it does come back, sadly, she won’t be reprising her role as DCS Patricia Carmichael.

“Sometimes you’re not allowed to revise certain roles due to contracts with other streamers,” she explained to the BBC on the red carpet.

The team behind Shogun, which won best international show, revealed that there will be a “10-year time leap in part two”.

Alma’s Not Normal won’t be returning for a third series having won the Bafta for best scripted comedy for season two. But creator Sophie Willan told us “there might be something else in the pipeline”. A Christmas special perhaps?

The daytime Bafta gong went to Clive Myrie’s BBC Two show Caribbean Adventure and he’ll be heading to Africa next week to film the second series.

And who would he like to take with him?

“The new Pope – I think we could have some interesting converations. It’s got Bafta written all over it!”

But the BBC news anchor won’t be giving up the day job anytime soon.

“I may end up doing more entertainment stuff as I’m an old bloke… but news is the core, I won’t do anything that distracts me [from that].”

The hit BBC show set in a Scottish castle missed out on the three prizes it was nominated for, including best reality series. That went to Channel 4’s Jury: Murder Trial, which restaged court proceedings in front of two juries of ordinary people.

A second series is in the works and said the next case is “really relatable.”

“Technically it’s a reality show but it isn’t about something like dating”, the team said backstage, joking that it was “a bit surreal” to go up against shows like Love is Blind.