Kate Winslet and Ben Whishaw were among the winners at the BAFTA Television Awards on Sunday night in London, with the Oscar-winning actress used her victory speech to push for action against dangerous social media content.
In ‘I am Ruth,’ a mini-series in which she co-starred with her real-life daughter, Mia Threapleton, Winslet was recognized for her portrayal of a mother of a teenager captivated by social media.
“I Am Ruth was made… for families who feel that they are held hostage by the perils of the online world, for parents who wish they could still communicate with their teenagers but who no longer can,” Winslet said.
“And for young people who have become addicted to social media and its darker sides: this does not need to be your life. To people in power and to people who can make change: please, criminalise harmful content. Please eradicate harmful content. We don’t want it. We want our children back.”
In her speech, Winslet also mentioned Threapleton, adding, “If I could break it in half, I would give the other half to my daughter… we did this together kiddo.”
Whishaw won for his performance in the medical comedy-drama ‘This is Going to Hurt,’ which is based on former doctor Adam Kay’s memoir, as a doctor working in an obstetrics department at a London hospital.
‘Bad Sisters,’ based in Dublin, won drama series and a supporting actress award for Anne-Marie Duff. Best supporting actor given to Adeel Akhtar for crime drama ‘Sherwood’.
‘Derry Girls’ last season won scripted comedy, while Netflix’s ‘Dahmer-Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story’ won international.
Last June, BBC One’s coverage of the ‘Party at the Palace’ celebrations marking Queen Elizabeth’s 70th year on the throne won the live event category.
The unforgettable moment award was given to a sketch depicting the late queen having tea with Paddington Bear, which was narrated by Whishaw.
