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Gavin and Stacey, Rivals and Alma’s Not Normal were among the big winners at the 2025 Royal Television Society Awards on Tuesday night.
Stars including Danny Dyer, Anna Maxwell Martin and Claudia Winkleman were among those honoured at the glitzy ceremony in London’s JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel, which was hosted by comedian Tom Allen.
Across the 29 categories, the BBC led with 16 wins, and three of these wins went to Sophie Willan’s sitcom Alma’s Not Normal, which ended the night with the most awards for a single programme.
Anna Maxwell Martin was one of the big winners as she accepted the Leading Actress award for Until I Kill You, and immediately confessed that she was already ‘hammered’ after making the most of the free bar at the event.
She said: ‘I’m p****d, I’ve had so many drinks, so this is going to be hard!’ later adding: ‘I’m hammered, these things go on for a long time!’
While paying to both the cast and crew on Until I Kill You, Anna shared that she was dedicating her award to her ‘former mentor and sometime husband Roger Mitchell,’ who died in 2021, a year after their separation.
Anna Maxwell Martin (left) and Danny Dyer (right) were among the big winners at the 2025 Royal Television Society Awards on Tuesday night
And while Gavin and Stacey missed out on the Scripted Comedy Award to Things You Should Have Done, creators James Corden and Ruth Jones were honoured with the presitigious Judges Award
Meanwhile Danny Dyer was awarded the Supporting Actor prize for his role in the raunchy Disney+ adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s Rivals.
Taking to the stage, he quipped: ‘What a result, I’ve got to thank Disney, I’m a Disney star now! Such a brilliant show I think I’ve had a result here because there’s so many brilliant performances.’
He went onto pay tribute to his co-star Katherine Parkinson, with the pair both nominated for their starring roles in the series, which saw Dyer’s moustachioed businessman Freddie Jones embark on an affair with Lizzie Vereker, played by Parkinson.
Danny then went onto add: ‘Shout-out to the working class actors, remember where you come from!’
And while Gavin and Stacey missed out on the Scripted Comedy Award to Things You Should Have Done, creators James Corden and Ruth Jones were honoured with the presitigious Judges Award, which was presented by Richard Curtis.
‘What a wonderful thing you have made, so many funny lines all the way thought, so many extraordinary comedy setpieces, always funny always true, this was the best cast show ever in comedy. This Christmas you completed their wonderful story curve – even Chinese Alan!
‘It also includes two very brilliant performances by you two! I think you lvoe each other and make each other laugh and what has happened on screen has been a perfect combination of these two people.
‘Gavin and Stacey is the greatest British romantic comedy of all time. It’s an education in acceptance, kindness, loyalty, and the importance of keeping your order in takeaways.’
Anna Maxwell Martin was one of the big winners as she accepted the Leading Actress award for Until I Kill You, and immediately confessed that she was already ‘hammered’ after making the most of the free bar at the event
As the creator of Alma’s Not Normal, Sophie Willan won Scripted Comedy, Comedy Performance and Writer – Comedy for her work on the show
Adding to her vast collection of awards, Jessica Gunning accepted the Supporting Actress prize for her performance in the Netflix hit Baby Reindeer
For 2025, the Outstanding Achievement Award was presented to Claudia Winkleman, honouring her illustrious career in entertainment broadcasting and presenting
Josh Tedeku, star of Supacell and Boarders, received the Breakthrough Award
Liz Carr was awarded the Presenter prize for her work on the show Better Off Dead?
Ruth then opened their joint speech with a Nessa impression, delighting the crowd as she said ‘my husband and I are very touched.’
Alma’s Not Normal proved to be one of the big winners of the night ,as it scooped Comedy Drama, as well as Comedy Performance – Female and Writer – Comedy for star Sophie Willan.
The BBC’s musical drama This Town, from acclaimed screenwriter Steven Knight, won the newly combined award for Limited Series and Single Drama.
Channel 4 landed five wins, with their coverage of the 2024 Paralympics being recognised across both Sports categories: Sports Programme and Sports Presenter, Commentator or Pundit for presenting duo Rose Ayling-Ellis and Clare Balding.
Other multi-award winners include Rivals, including both Danny’s win, and a Writer – Drama award for Dominic Treadwell-Collins and Laura Wade.
In the Leading Actor categories, Lennie James won for his leading role in the BBC’s moving Bernardine Evaristo adaptation, Mr Loverman, while Baby Reindeer’s Jessica Gunning scooped the prize for Supporting Actress.
Casualty was awarded Soap And Continuing Drama, while Ant and Dec won the Entertainment Performance award, for their work on the final series of Saturday Night Takeaway.
Loose Women also received the coveted Daytime award, particularly due to the show’s domestic violence campaign Facing It Together.
For 2025, the Outstanding Achievement Award was presented to Claudia Winkleman, honouring her illustrious career in entertainment broadcasting and presenting.
Kenton Allen, Chair of the RTS Programme Awards, said: ‘Year after year we are astounded by the level of talent within the UK television industry – across the scripted and unscripted categories, this year’s programming exemplifies the ongoing success of British content in the UK and beyond.
‘As we come together to celebrate the most memorable moments from across the year on-screen, we congratulate all of the nominees and winners for their incredible achievements in creating the fantastic television we’re lucky enough to share in.’
