Sunday's Bafta TV Awards at London’s Royal Festival Hall marked the return of their first full audience in two years and saw the BBC claim nine awards, ITV take home seven and Channel 4 collect five.
The ceremony was hosted by comedian Richard Ayoade and celebrated the best of British TV across several categories.
Some winners used their acceptance speeches to draw attention to the value of Channel 4 and criticise the UK government over plans to privatise the broadcaster.
Jodie Comer claimed the leading actress award for her role in Channel 4’s Help and thanked the broadcaster for “believing in the script”.
Gogglebox won its second TV Bafta for best constructed factual show and the chief executive of production company Studio Lambert, Stephen Lambert, used his speech to voice opposition to the government’s plans.
“Gogglebox might have ended when it started nine years ago as it got modest ratings, but a publicly owned, risk-taking Channel 4 believed in it and they stuck with it, " Lambert said.
“If the government goes ahead with its destructive plan to end Channel 4, these kind of risks will not be taken and a big part of what makes British TV great will have ended for no good reason.”
Mo Gilligan won best comedy entertainment for his The Lateish Show on Channel 4 and said the prize “means so much” because Channel 4 took him on when he was having mental health problems in 2017.
“They let me bring black boy joy, I really appreciate it. It would not have been possible without Channel 4; I know everyone has said it, but it is so important,” Gilligan said.
Jamie Demetriou won a TV Bafta for best male in a comedy for his role in Channel 4’s Stath Lets Flats.
But despite leading the nominations this year with a total of seven, Channel 4’s It’s a Sin ended the ceremony empty-handed.
Sean Bean won best leading actor prize for his role in gritty prison drama Time.
Producer Simon Maloney read a letter on the actor’s behalf, which said he was “overwhelmed” to receive the award.
Time also won best mini-series and in collecting the prize, co-actor Stephen Graham said: “We had a phenomenal cast of young, working-class men who were absolutely outstanding, every single one of them.
“It was an absolute joy to be a part of. This is why I wanted to be an actor as a kid … it was a powerful production.”
Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice won the must-see moment for their silent dance on BBC One staple Strictly Come Dancing.
Their routine, during which they paused the music and danced in silence as a tribute to the deaf community, won praise from the public. Ayling-Ellis described it as a “very special moment”.
"It couldn't be any better than this, it's the best it can get," she said after winning the accolade, for which the British public voted.
"When I first arrived, I seriously had no clue, because as a deaf person you can never really tell how society is going to react to it. And the fact it went much bigger, that it actually influenced social change, wow.
"There's no words; I'm speechless about it."
The actress, who has been deaf since birth, has actively campaigned for British Sign Language to be recognised as an official language and be given legal status in the UK.
In April, a Bill was passed in the House of Lords to legally recognise BSL as an official language in England, Wales and Scotland.
Reflecting on the dance's impact, Ayling-Ellis added: "So much has happened in the last few months even, just a short few months. I'm very proud of it. We both are very proud of it."
Pernice, 31, echoed his dance partner's disbelief: "When for the first time I had the idea to put the silence in the dance, I knew it was giving impact. But as Rose said, it went bigger than what we thought. This changed people's lives.
"And to see the power of dance change people's lives, it just makes me proud.
"Also this is just the beginning. I'm a hearing person, so to deal with Rose for the 15 weeks doing the show made me realise that we should all make an effort to make them feel more inclusive.
"It is my privilege. This is just a trophy. I'm privileged from what I've learnt from Rose, I'm so happy."
Among ITV’s successes were Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, which claimed the first award of the event, for best entertainment programme.
Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly reflected on their "inspirational" drag performance after winning the award.
The presenting duo transformed into drag queens, Lady Antoinette and Miss Donna Lee, on their ITV show Saturday Night Takeaway in February.
Speaking after receiving their Bafta TV award, Donnelly, 46, said the pair were "moved by how inspirational people found it".
"When we had the idea of doing the drag act, we wanted to do it properly and we wanted to do it right, and we want to be respectful of the art form," he said.
"We didn't want it to look silly, in that we slap on a bit of lipstick and eyeshadow and then walk out in wonky heels.
"We were like, 'if we're going to do this, we're going to do it properly', because it is a real art form and it's a respected art form.
"But then we got a lot of messages from people saying how inspirational they found it and how it had given people the courage to be themselves, and that was something we hadn't really catered for.
"We hadn't really thought that would be the case. So it was mind-blowing and surprising, but it was quite moving as well and I'm proud and happy that people got so much out of it."
The news coverage award went to ITV News At Ten for its work on the storming of the US Capitol in January 2021.
Coronation Street won the coveted best soap award and continuing drama for ITV, with actress Sally Dynevor dedicating the prize to murdered young woman Sophie Lancaster and her mother Sylvia.
Sylvia founded the Sophie Lancaster Foundation in memory of her daughter, who was kicked to death in 2007 because she was dressed as a Goth.
"We weren't expecting this tonight, we really weren't, so thank you so much Bafta for this award," Dyvenor said after accepting the award.
"Working on this show is just a privilege — and the drama and the comedy go so well on Corrie.
"And one of the most important stories we have told this year was the hate crime story. So we would like to dedicate this to Sophie Lancaster and her mother Sylvia Lancaster."
Sylvia's daughter was 20 when she was set on by drunk teenagers in a park in Bacup, Lancashire.
The gang turned on her and her boyfriend, Rob Maltby, who survived the attack, because of their appearance. Sophie was kicked and stamped on as she cradled the injured Mr Maltby.
Both fell into comas but Sophie, a gap-year student, never regained consciousness and died in hospital 13 days later.
Sylvia was awarded an OBE in 2014 for her work to tackle hate crime.
Bafta chairman Krishnendu Majumdar opened the event with a speech addressing diversity and the changing media landscape. He then paid tribute to TV journalists working in Ukraine and the comedian Sir Billy Connolly, who received a Bafta fellowship.
Ayoade quickly aimed a jibe at Will Smith over his slap at the Oscars, quipping: “Bafta is celebrating 75 years at the heart of our industry.
“In 1955, there were only six categories, barely enough time to get up from your seat and slap someone before the whole ceremony would be over.”
Here's a full list of winners at the Bafta TV Awards 2022:
Leading actress
Jodie Comer, Help - Channel 4 - WINNER
Denise Gough, Too Close - ITV
Emily Watson, Too Close - ITV
Kate Winslet, Mare of Easttown - Sky Atlantic
Lydia West, It's A Sin - Channel 4
Niamh Algar, Deceit - Channel 4
Leading actor
Sean Bean, Time - BBC One - WINNER
David Thewlis, Landscapers - Sky Atlantic
Hugh Quarshie, Stephen - ITV
Olly Alexander, It's A Sin - Channel 4
Samuel Adewunmi, You Don't Know Me - BBC One
Stephen Graham, Help - Channel 4
Supporting actress
Cathy Tyson, Help - Channel 4 - WINNER
Celine Buckens, Showtrial - BBC One
Emily Mortimer, The Pursuit of Love - BBC One
Jessica Plummer, The Girl Before - BBC One
Leah Harvey, Foundation - Apple TV+
Tahirah Sharif, The Tower - ITV
Supporting actor
Matthew Macfadyen, Succession - Sky Atlantic - WINNER
Callum Scott Howells, It's A Sin - Channel 4
David Carlyle, It's A Sin - Channel 4
Nonso Anozie, Sweet Tooth - Netflix
Omari Douglas, It's A Sin - Channel 4
Stephen Graham, Time - BBC One
Entertainment performance
Big Zuu, Big Zuu's Big Eats - Dave - WINNER
Alison Hammond, I Can See Your Voice - BBC One
Graham Norton, The Graham Norton Show - BBC One
Joe Lycett, Joe Lycett's Got Your Back - Channel 4
Michael McIntyre, Michael McIntyre's The Wheel - BBC One
Sean Lock, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown - Channel 4
Male performance in a comedy programme
Jamie Demetriou, Stath Lets Flats - Channel 4 - WINNERS
Joe Gilgun, Brassic - Sky Max
Ncuti Gatwa, Sex Education - Netflix
Samson Kayo, Bloods - Sky One
Steve Coogan, This Time with Alan Partridge - BBC One
Tim Renkow, Jerk - BBC Three
Female performance in a comedy programme
Sophie Willan, Alma's Not Normal - BBC Two - WINNER
Aimee Lou Wood, Sex Education - Netflix
Aisling Bea, This Way Up - Channel 4
Anjana Vasan, We Are Lady Parts - Channel 4
Natasia Demetriou, Stath Lets Flats - Channel 4
Rose Matafeo, Starstruck - BBC Three
Drama series
In My Skin - BBC Three - WINNER
Manhunt: The Night Stalker - ITV
Unforgotten - ITV
Vigil - BBC One
Single drama
Together - BBC Two - WINNER
Death of England: Face to Face - Sky Arts
Help - Channel 4
I Am Victoria - Channel 4
Mini-series
Time - BBC One - WINNER
It's A Sin - Channel 4
Landscapers - Sky Atlantic
Stephen - ITV
Soap and continuing drama
Coronation Street - ITV - WINNER
Casualty - BBC One
Emmerdale - ITV
Holby City - BBC One
International
The Underground Railroad - Amazon Prime
Call My Agent! - Netflix
Lupin - Netflix
Mare of Easttown - Sky Atlantic
Squid Game - Netflix
Succession - Sky Atlantic
Entertainment programme
Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway - ITV - WINNER
An Audience With Adele - ITV
Life & Rhymes - Sky Arts
Strictly Come Dancing - BBC One
Comedy entertainment programme
The Lateish Show With Mo Gilligan - Channel 4 - WINNER
The Graham Norton Show - BBC One
Race Around Britain - YouTube
The Ranganation - BBC Two
Scripted comedy
Motherland - BBC Two - WINNER
Alma's Not Normal - BBC Two
Stath Lets Flats - Channel 4
We Are Lady Parts - Channel 4
Features
Big Zuu's Big Eats - Dave - WINNER
Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing - BBC Two
Sort Your Life Out - BBC One
The Great British Sewing Bee - BBC One
Daytime
The Chase - ITV
Moneybags - Channel 4
Richard Osman's House of Games - BBC Two
Steph's Packed Lunch - Channel 4
Must-see moment
Strictly Come Dancing, Rose and Giovanni's silent dance to Symphony - BBC One - WINNER
An Audience With Adele, Adele's surprised by the teacher who changed her life - ITV
I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, Ant and Dec dig at Downing Street's lockdown parties - ITV
It's A Sin, Colin's devastating Aids diagnosis - Channel 4
RuPaul's Drag Race UK, UK Hun? - Bimini's verse - BBC Three
Squid Game, Red Light, Green Light game - Netflix
Current affairs
Fearless: The Women Fighting Putin (Exposure) - ITV - WINNER
Four Hours At The Capitol - BBC Two
The Men Who Sell Football (Al Jazeera Investigations) - Al Jazeera English
Trump Takes On The World - BBC Two
Single documentary
My Childhood, My Country - 20 Years In Afghanistan - ITV - WINNER
9/11: Inside The President's War Room - BBC One
Grenfell: The Untold Story - Channel 4
Nail Bomber: Man Hunt - Netflix
Factual series
Uprising - BBC One - WINNER
The Detectives: Fighting Organised Crime - BBC Two
9/11: One Day In America - National Geographic
Undercover Police: Hunting Paedophiles - Channel 4
Reality and constructed factual
Gogglebox - Channel 4 - WINNER
Married At First Sight UK - E4
RuPaul's Drag Race UK - BBC Three
The Dog House - Channel 4
Specialist factual
The Missing Children - ITV - WINNER
Black Power: A British Story of Resistance - BBC Two
Freddie Mercury: The Final Act - BBC Two
Silenced: The Hidden Story of Disabled Britain - BBC Two
News coverage
ITV News At Ten: Storming of the Capitol - ITV - WINNER
Channel 4 News: Black To Front - Channel 4
Good Morning Britain: Shamima Begum - ITV
Sky News: Afghanistan: Endgame - Sky News
Live event
The Earthshot Prize 2021 - BBC One
The Brit Awards 2021 - ITV
The Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance - BBC One
Springwatch 2021 - BBC Two
Short-form programme
Our Land - Together TV - WINNER
Hollyoaks Saved My Life (Hollyoaks IRL) - YouTube
People You May Know - Financial Times
Please Help - BBC Three
Sport
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sky Sports - WINNER
The Grand National - ITV Racing
Tokyo 2020 Olympics - BBC
Euros 2020 - England v Denmark - ITV
