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Dame Mary Berrypaid a sincere tribute to her late son William as she received the British Academy Television Awards’s highest accolade at Sunday’s ceremony.
The TV icon, 91, gave an emotional speech when she received the BAFTA Fellowship, recognizing her career that has lasted six decades.
Mary thanked her beloved husband Paul, 94, who was watching from home, along with their children Annabel, 56, Thomas, 58, and William, who passed away in a car accident in 1989 at the age of 19.
She saidI’m a teacher, so I feel extremely proud to have received the BAFTAs top award. It feels like no time has passed since I left Bath High School with only two O levels in needlework and cooking.
‘Bake Off’ arrived and my entire life transformed. It was about those jackets, and I could place a hot water bottle underneath because the tent was so chilly in the morning. I view myself as an educator, and television is the largest classroom available.
She subsequently expressed gratitude to her husband and children, stating, “William is in heaven, but I am thankful.”
William passed away in a car crash while returning home from Bristol University.
Mary later added: “On Bake Off we received an award, and I was honored with an award for Best Judge, but this is entirely different.”
It’s the most incredible award, a huge honor. You just want your parents to be alive so you can call them and say ‘Guess what, mum.’
Mary was the second of three children, the daughter of Margaret and Alleyne. Her father passed away in 1989, while her mother lived until 2011. She was 105 years old at the time of her death.
She previously talked about the car accident involving her late son William on the Rosebud with Gyles Brandrethpodcast, where she disclosed that her daughter Annabel was also in the vehicle.
Remembering the heartbreaking day, she stated, “He asked if he could borrow a sports car, which was covered by his insurance, and I replied, ‘Ask your dad.'”
Regardless, he brought his sister along, and he simply drove too quickly, which was completely out of character.
William was the person you could always count on. After he passed away, when the phone rang, everyone said, ‘We’re so sorry about Thomas, because Thomas was our adventurous one.’ I knew when the police arrived. I recall saying to them, ‘It must be a terrible experience for you to inform us all.’
It was a great sorrow, but there was an advantage because Annabel – we had to go to Wycombe Hospital – they didn’t inform us at the time since the police weren’t aware, so we went there.
And I recall standing in the hallway when I suddenly spotted Annabel, wearing a pink track suit, running toward me, and I thought, ‘I still have her.’
Elsewhere during the evening, Adolescence star Owen Coopercontinued his award-winning streak.
The 16-year-old actor who has made historyBy becoming the youngest recipient of the Best Supporting Actor award at both the Golden Globes and the Emmy Awards, he won the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor.
Meanwhile, his on-screen mother, Christine Tremarco, received the Best Supporting Actress award in an unexpected outcome, surpassing co-star Erin Doherty, who had previously won the Golden Globe and Emmy Award.
The nominations were revealed in March, with Stephen Graham receiving 11 nods for the drama and seven for his Disney+ show, A Thousand Blows, where he serves as an executive producer.
Adolescence, developed by actor Stephen, 52, and writer Jack Thorne, follows the journey of British teenager Jamie Miller, who is convicted ofkilling a female classmate following exposure to the manosphere online.
Every episode is shot in a single, uninterrupted take and has received significant acclaim for tackling issues like online radicalization and sexism.
Erin [Doherty] was the first person I ever collaborated with, making it a dream come true to film. It wasn’t easy, and I won’t pretend it was. It was challenging to perform in front of someone I had never met before, but Erin and the team were incredibly welcoming.
Producer Mark Herbert from Warp Films stated, “Many thanks to Stephen Graham for uniting this group. The script really touched our hearts and left us in shock.” He also expressed gratitude to Netflix’s Anne Mensah, who took on the project after Amazon Prime Video had declined it.
Amandaland, featuring Lucy Punch, received the BAFTA for best scripted comedy. The series chronicles the downfall of Motherland’s high-and-mighty Queen Bee, who has transitioned from a luxurious life in the affluent area of Chiswick to being a single parent in the less desirable South Harlesden—whom she dubs ‘SoHa’.
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