BAFTA TV Awards 2023: A Night of Surprises, Triumphs, and a Dancing Queen

The 2023 BAFTA TV Awards saw an unexpected dance-off between the late Queen Elizabeth II and Paddington Bear, earning the ‘Most Memorable Moment’ award. Meanwhile, Kate Winslet secured her first TV BAFTA with ‘I Am Ruth.’ Dive into the night’s highlights and fun trivia.

Kate Winslet’s Leap from Film to TV Glory

Kate Winslet, our beloved Rose from ‘Titanic,’ took a break from sinking ships and swam her way to the BAFTA TV Award for Leading Actress. This was on May 14, 2023. She won for her stellar performance in Channel 4’s ‘I Am Ruth.’ She might as well change her middle name to BAFTA, having already nabbed three for her film roles.

The Queen’s Got Moves: A Royal Dance-Off

The real show-stopper of the night was none other than Her Majesty the Late Queen Elizabeth II, who shared her award with Paddington Bear. The skit, part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, won the ‘Most Memorable Moment Award.’ Because who doesn’t want to see a monarch bust a move with a beloved children’s character?

A Quickfire Round of BAFTA Trivia: Who Took Home the Gold?

• Ben Whishaw snatched the Leading Actor Award for his performance in ‘This Is Going to Hurt.’
• ‘Casualty‘ took the crown for Soap and Continuing Drama, leaving ‘EastEnders,’ ‘Emmerdale,’ and last year’s champ ‘Coronation Street’ in the dust.
• At the tender age of 14, Lenny Rush, from ‘Am I Being Unreasonable?’ bagged the ‘Male Performance in a Comedy Program‘ Award. That’s one way to make your teenage years memorable.
• ‘The Masked Singer‘ unmasked its triumph by winning the ‘Entertainment Program’ Award.
• Sir Mo Farah jogged his way to a BAFTA for his BBC One documentary ‘The Real Mo Farah.’ He dedicated his win to “children who are being trafficked.”
• ‘Bad Sisters‘ became the first Apple TV+ series to win a BAFTA.
• “Mood” was awarded the Ministeries Award because, well, it’s all about setting the right mood.
• ‘Joe Lycett Vs. Beckham: Got Your Back at Xmas‘ took home the ‘Feature Show’ Award.
• Siobhan McSweeney, playing Sister Michael in ‘Derry Girls,’ won the ‘Female Performance in a Comedy Program’ Award.

A Royal First

Rounding off the night, the Queen’s Paddington Bear skit marked a royal first – it’s not every day that the monarchy wins a BAFTA TV Award, let alone a public vote.

News Trivia Time: British TV Quiz 2023

Now that you know all the facts about the 2023 BAFTA TV Awards, how about a news quiz?

2023 British TV Quick Quiz

UK TV Quiz: 8 Multiple-choice general knowledge questions about British TV shows and personalities this year. No time-limit. How smart are you today?

1 / 8

1. How long did fans wait between Black Mirror’s season 5 and season 6?

Screenshot: Black Mirror / Netflix

Two years.

Three years.

Four years.

Forever.

Black Mirror season five was released in June 2019. The next season, season six, premieres in June 2023. That means fans had to wait four years for upcoming dystopian sci-fi anthology series episodes. The new season will feature a star-studded cast, including Aaron Paul, Kate Mara, Michael Cera, Salma Hayek Pinault, and many others. Watch Black Mirror’s season 6 trailer on YouTube. Get a dose of Black Mirror season 6 trivia facts here.

2 / 8

2. Piers Morgan was the editor of which famous British newspaper?

Screenshot: BBC News

The Sun.

The Daily Mail.

The Daily Planet.

The Daily Mirror.

Piers Morgan was the editor of the Daily Mirror from 1995 to 2004 when he was fired for publishing fake photos of Iraqi prisoner abuse. He faces allegations of phone hacking at the Mirror in a high court trial that began on May 10, 2023. The trial was brought by Prince Harry and other celebrities who claimed the newspaper violated their privacy. Morgan has denied any knowledge of phone hacking or illegal activity at the newspaper. He said he had never hacked a phone or told anyone to do so. On Dec. 15, a London High Court judge ruled that Morgan knew about phone hacking at the Mirror. Following the ruling, Morgan still denied personal involvement in phone hacking. He stated that he had not been called as a witness nor asked to provide a statement in the case.

3 / 8

3. What’s Netflix’s biggest documentary debut?

Screenshot: Harry & Meghan / Netflix

The Social Dilemma.

Harry & Meghan.

The Tinder Swindler.

Pelé.

During its first week, Netflix’s documentary series about Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, attracted more viewers on the platform than any other documentary. After “Harry & Meghan” premiered on Dec. 8, its first three episodes recorded 81.55 million viewing hours. A total of 28 million households watched at least part of the series. In Britain, “Harry & Meghan” was the most-watched series on Netflix between Dec. 5 and 11.

4 / 8

4. Why does Netflix’s Harry and Meghan come with a mature content warning?

Screenshot: Harry and Meghan / Netflix

Discrimination.

Adult language.

Substance use.

Sensationalism.

In two sections of three episodes, the Netflix series ‘Harry and Meghan,’ released on Dec. 8, 2022, and Dec. 15, has a 15 maturity rating (in the UK), with the Netflix series warning it deals with “discrimination.” Watch the trailer.

5 / 8

5. What was J.K. Rowling’s involvement in creating the Hogwarts Legacy video game?

Screenshot: Hogwarts Legacy / PlayStation – YouTube

She was heavily involved in the creation of the game.

She was not involved in the creation of the game.

She had limited input into the development of the game.

She is only involved in the marketing of the game.

On Feb. 6, 2023, Avalanche Software released Hogwarts Legacy, an open-world action role-playing game. The launch sparked controversy after J.K. Rowling, the author of Harry Potter fiction, was accused of transphobia. While Rowling may benefit from the game’s popularity, it was developed entirely by Warner Bros.-owned Avalanche Software. Hogwarts Legacy’s official FAQ notes that J.K. Rowling was not directly involved in the game’s development.

6 / 8

6. What is Egypt’s beef with Netflix’s 2023 Cleopatra?

Screenshot: African Queens: Queen Cleopatra / Netflix

Netflix portrays Cleopatra as a man.

Netflix revealed that Cleopatra was actually an alien.

Netflix cast a Black actress to play the ancient Egyptian queen.

Netflix claims that Cleopatra was a secret agent for Rome.

Egyptian officials have complained that Netflix’s docudrama series “African Queens: Queen Cleopatra,” which depicts Cleopatra as a Black woman played by British actress Adele James, erases Egyptian identity and falsifies history. They argue that Cleopatra was of Greek origin and had light skin and Hellenistic features, as confirmed by statues and coins. A lawyer named Mahmoud El-Semiry has filed a lawsuit against Netflix and demanded its ban in Egypt. State-owned broadcaster Al Wathaeqya has announced plans to produce its own documentary about Cleopatra’s true story.

Fun fact: Gal Gadot’s Cleopatra is still in pre-production limbo. The film’s announcement has faced backlash from Egyptians who accused it of whitewashing, as Gadot is of Israeli and European descent. Gadot defended her casting by saying Cleopatra was Macedonian. The film is not to be confused with another Cleopatra project by Sony Pictures with director Denis Villeneuve, which has been in development for over a decade.

7 / 8

7. What is the birthplace of Barry Humphries, the comedy genius who created Dame Edna Everage?

Screenshot: ABC News Australia

Melbourne, Australia.

Sydney, Australia.

London, England.

Edinburgh, Scotland.

Barry Humphries was born in Melbourne, Australia, on February 17, 1934. He created the character of Dame Edna Everage, a condescending and snobbish housewife in the mid-50s. Humphries died on April 22, 2023, at 89, in a Sydney hospital due to complications following hip surgery.

Fun Fact: He won a Tony Award in 2000 for his Broadway show “Dame Edna: The Royal Tour.” More Barry Humphries trivia facts here.

8 / 8

8. Who was the first British monarch to have his funeral televised?

Screenshot: Sky News via YouTube

Queen Elizabeth II.

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.

King George VI.

King George V.

The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II was the first televised funeral of a British monarch. The last funeral service for a British monarch, King George VI, in 1952 was not. Queen Elizabeth II’s mother, Elizabeth The Queen Mother, died in 2002, and her funeral was broadcast worldwide, but the Queen Mother wasn’t the reigning monarch.

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• April Entertainment Quiz
• May 12 News Quiz
• Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Quiz

Sources

We cross-checked our 2023 BAFTA TV Awards trivia facts with the best news providers in the United Kingdom and beyond. Here are some of the articles we read for this post.

• Deadline: Kate Winslet Wins BAFTA TV Award For Leading Actress
• Sky News: All the winners from the TV BAFTAs as Kate Winslet and Ben Whishaw, secure gongs
• The Hollywood Reporter: BAFTA TV Awards 2023 Winners List
• The Guardian: 2023 BAFTA TV awards: the full list of winners