Victoria Wood wins best actress Bafta

Victoria Wood, Ricky Gervais and Richard Curtis all triumphed at the Baftas on Sunday night.

Wood was recognised not for her comedy, but for her serious role in TV's wartime drama, Housewife, 49, for which she was named best actress.

Despite having won five previous Baftas and been nominated for a record breaking 12, it was the first time that 54-year-old Wood had won an award for a serious drama role.

Wood also wrote Housewife, 49. adapting a real-life Lancashire woman's wartime diaries, and the show also won the best single drama Bafta.

Gervais won the comedy performance category, ahead of his Extras co-star Stephen Merchant, who was also nominated for the same category.

But Merchant had to collect it, as Gervais had been in New York this weekend, performing at Madison Square Gardens.

‘He could have mentioned this before,’ said Merchant, picking up the award at the London Palladium. ‘Talk about rubbing salt into the wound. I'm sure he would like me to say I've been robbed, and I would agree. And it's not like he hasn't got enough already.’

Joan Rivers presented the award by disparaging the nominees: ‘Dawn French, f*** her, she's funnier than me,’ she said. ‘Ricky Gervais, he slept with my cousin and never called her again. It's a mean thing to do to a Jew with a harelip.’

Richard Curtis, who started his career on Not The Nine O’Clock News before writing Blackadder, Mr Bean, Four Weddings And A Funeral and The Vicar of Dibley, received the Academy Fellowship award.

Bafta TV committee chairman, Peter Salmon, said: ‘Richard Curtis is a hero for many people in the UK television and film sectors. He combines humanity and hard work, humour and imagination to create some of the best-loved brands and programmes of modern times. He more than deserves the highest accolade the Academy can give.’

That Mitchell and Webb Look was named best comedy series, the Royle Family Queen Of Sheba special was named best sitcom and ITV2 comedy Entourage won the international award.

In other categories, Jonathan Ross won the entertainment performance; Jim Broadbent was named best actor for his portrayal of Lord Longford; Casualty won the Bafta for best soap; The Street best drama series, X Factor best entertainment programme; and Life on Mars won the Pioneer Audience Award for best programme.

The BBC won a total of nine awards, with six going to ITV1, two apiece to Channel 4 and Sky One, and a single prize to ITV2.

Published: 21 May 2007