Rising star Molly Windsor has beaten Hollywood heavyweights Claire Foy and Thandie Newton to clinch the leading actress gong at the BAFTA TV Awards.

Windsor won the award for her role in Three Girls, a drama about three victims of the Rochdale child sex abuse scandal.

Collecting the prize from Sherlock star Martin Freeman, she said: "Three Girls was born out of the courage of the real three girls, and the real Holly, Amber and Ruby who told their story over and over and over and told it again to us.

Image: Claire Foy spoke about her support for the Time's Up campaign ahead of the ceremony

"I just want to say thank you for recognising how selfless that is and how brave that is."

The drama also won the award for best mini-series.

Writer Nicole Taylor dedicated the prize to health worker Sara Rowbotham and former detective Maggie Oliver, who helped blow the whistle on the scandal, as well as the real three victims and their families.

Foy had been nominated for a second consecutive year for her role as the Queen in The Crown, while Newton was nominated for her part in Line Of Duty.

Thandie Newton attending the Virgin TV British Academy Television Awards 2018 held at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday May 13, 2018. See PA story SHOWBIZ Bafta. Photo credit should read: Isabel Infantes/PA Wire
Image: Thandie Newton was nominated for her role in Line Of Duty

Foy, who sported a Time's Up pin on her white dress, spoke about her support for the campaign ahead of the ceremony, saying: "It's about not thinking this is just a moment.

"It's not a moment, it's a continuing evolving thing and in five or six years' time we'll know how much progress we've made, and I think it's just a really important thing to support."

Sean Bean was named best leading actor for his role as a Roman Catholic priest in Broken.

BBC Three's This Country, a mockumentary which depicts life in rural Britain, won the award for scripted comedy, while writer and star Daisy May Cooper won the gong for best female performance in a comedy programme.

Rio Ferdinand with the single Documentary award in the press room at the Virgin TV British Academy Television Awards 2018 held at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday May 13, 2018. See PA story SHOWBIZ Bafta. Photo credit should read: Ian West/PA Wire 0:20
Video: Rio Ferdinand's emotional BAFTA speech

Former footballer Rio Ferdinand won best single documentary for Being Mum And Dad, a film about the loss of his wife Rebecca to cancer.

"It's been quite a crazy, whirlwind experience," he said on accepting his award.

"I didn't do this for any other reason than my three kids.

"The worst thing to come out of this is I get quite emotional now but it's allowed me to speak and show vulnerability that people aren't used to because as a sportsman you're built up to be indestructible."

Rio Ferdinand and Kate Wright
Image: Ferdinand was accompanied by his girlfriend Kate Wright

He said the documentary had helped him heal, and referring to his "beautiful girlfriend" Kate Wright, he said: "We are making steps in the right direction".

Sky News also won an award for its coverage of the Rohingya crisis.

Rohingya Muslims
Image: Sky News won an award for its coverage of the Rohingya crisis

Meanwhile, the highest accolade the Academy bestows, the fellowship, was presented to journalist Kate Adie.

Speaking about the importance of reporting, she said: "It's essential in a democracy, we tell truth to power.

"We tell it like it is and in these times that is more important than ever."

Britain's Got Talent won the BAFTA for best entertainment programme, with judge Amanda Holden saying presenter Ant McPartlin would be missed during upcoming live shows.

Holden said: "I think he will be missed but Dec will do a sterling job and Alesha and I are on hand to step in!

"I think Mand and Dec has a nice ring to it!"

ITV confirmed Dec would be hosting the live shows without his TV partner of almost 30 years after Ant was given a fine and a ban for drink-driving.

BAFTA TV award winners:

Leading Actress

Molly Windsor (Three Girls)

Leading Actor

Sean Bean (Broken)

Supporting Actor

Brian F O'Byrne (Little Boy Blue)

Supporting Actress

Vanessa Kirby (The Crown)

Mini-Series

Three Girls

Scripted Comedy

This Country

Entertainment Performance

Graham Norton

Drama Series

Peaky Blinders

Single Drama

Murdered For Being Different

Soap & Continuing Drama

Casualty

Entertainment Programme

Britain's Got Talent

Comedy Entertainment Programme

Murder in Successville

BAFTA for Reality & Constructed Factual

Love Island

International

The Handmaid's Tale

Features

Cruising with Jane McDonald

Short Form Programme

Morgana Robinson's Summer

News Coverage

Sky News' The Rohingya Crisis

Current Affairs

Undercover: Britain's Immigration Secrets (Panorama)

Factual Series

Ambulance

Single Documentary

Rio Ferdinand: Being Mum And Dad

Specialist Factual

Basquiat – Rage To Riches

Female Performance in a Comedy Programme

Daisy May Cooper (This Country)

Male Performance in a Comedy Programme

Toby Jones (Detectorists)

Sport

The Grand National

Live Event

World War One Remembered: Passchendaele

The Special Award

John Motson OBE

The Fellowship

Kate Adie OBE

More from BAFTA

Virgin TV's Must-See Moment

Blue Planet II for its "Mother Pilot Whale Grieves" moment

Original Article

[contf] [contfnew]

Sky News

[contfnewc] [contfnewc]