Actor Benedict Cumberbatch lost out on the Bafta for Best Actor. Photo / Getty Images
Actor Benedict Cumberbatch lost out on the Bafta for Best Actor. Photo / Getty Images
Sherlock might have won a gong but Benedict Cumberbatch again missed out on a television Bafta for his much-loved portrayal of the master detective.
Instead the leading actor role went to Jason Watkins for his performance as the murder accused in ITV's drama the Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies.
It was Cumberbatch's third nomination for his performance in the hit BBC show, which instead took home the Radio Times Audience Award.
The Hollywood actor - who also missed out on an Oscar earlier this year - was not at the ceremony, with colleagues saying he stayed away to look after his new and heavily-pregnant wife.
Actor Jason Watkins with his Leading Actor Award backstage at the BAFTA Television awards. Photo / AP
Watkins gave an emotional speech while collecting his gong for the drama, about the retired teacher who was vilified in the press over the murder of Joanna Yeates, despite being innocent.
He dedicated his award to his daughter Maude, who died from sepsis at the age of two on New Year's Day in 2011.
"I'd like to thank David and Teresa Yeates for letting us have their daughter Joanna at the emotional heart of our piece and I hope that this has not been too painful a process for them although I hope that we can now share in the memory of their daughter," he said.
"But there is one person that I am going to dedicate this to and along with my family ... I'm going to share this with our daughter who we lost just a few days funnily enough after Joanna Yeates' death. If there is a reason why I'm standing here it is because of our Maudie, so thank you."
Aside from Watkins own award - his first ever Bafta - the drama also took home the best mini-series award, emerging as a clear favourite of the night.
The awards show - one of the most glittering nights in the showbusiness calendar - was held at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London.
Georgina Campbell was a surprise win of the night after claiming the leading actress award, which had been largely tipped to be taken by Sheridan Smith.
Actress Georgina Campbell with her Leading Actress Award backstage at the BAFTA Television awards. Photo / AP
The young actress won for her portrayal of a domestic violence victim in BBC 3's Murdered by My Boyfriend.
The first actor of the night to pick up a coveted gong was Stephen Rea for his supporting role as Sir Hugh Hayden-Hoyle in the BBC Two's The Honourable Woman.
The soap war was again won this year by Coronation Street whose production team proudly collected the award for Soap and Continuing Drama. It was despite EastEnders' gripping who-dunnit plot around the murder of Lucy Beale.
Host Graham Norton laughed as he briefly put his duties to one side to collect the best comedy program gong for his own Graham Norton Show.
Graham Norton with his Comedy Entertainment Programme Award backstage at the BAFTA Television awards. Photo / AP
"Yay me", he told the audience. "It's much quicker when I win, I should win most things."
The comic opened the ceremony with a string of one-liners to get the celebration started after what he called "election fatigue". He quipped: "We bid farewell to Clegg, Milliband and Farage. On the upside, the makers of Top Gear have just had an idea."
The event, formally known as the House of Fraser British Academy Television Awards, also saw producer and writer Jeff Pope given the special award and celebrated the career of broadcaster and TV critic Clive James, who is seriously ill.
Fellowship: Jon Snow Special award: Jeff Pope Leading actor: Jason Watkins, The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies - ITV Leading actress: Georgina Campbell, Murdered by My Boyfriend - BBC Three Supporting actor: Stephen Rea, The Honourable Woman - BBC Two Supporting actress: Gemma Jones, Marvellous - BBC Two Entertainment performance: Ant and Dec, Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway - ITV Female performance in a comedy program: Jessica Hynes, W1A - BBC Two Male performance in a comedy program: Matt Berry, Toast of London - Channel 4 Single drama:Marvellous Mini-series:The Lost Honour Of Christopher Jefferies Drama series:Happy Valley Soap & continuing drama: Coronation street, Production team - ITV International:True Detective Entertainment program:Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, Production Team - ITV Studios/Mitre Television/ITV Comedy and comedy entertainment program:The Graham Norton Show - So Television/BBC One Scripted comedy:Detectorists, Channel X North and Lola Entertainment/BBC Four Radio Times audience award (voted for by the public):Sherlock.
