With the BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises just around the corner, and 27 prizes up for grabs, who are the frontrunners to win these prestigious trophies?
Baby Reindeer has already gained two winning titles this BAFTA season at the TV Craft Awards and is now up for more across three different categories at the Television Awards this May, leading the pack with eight total nominations – the most of any show involved.
But why is this show so divisive, and what exactly are the Television BAFTAs?
What are the Television BAFTAs?
BAFTA – the British Academy of Film and Television Arts – is a world-famous independent arts charity in the UK.
The BAFTAs offer prestigious awards to recognise and celebrate work in the film, TV, TV craft and games industries, alongside specific awards ceremonies for Scotland and Wales.
Baby Reindeer: Eight total BAFTA nominations
Baby Reindeer is a piece of autobiographical fiction by Richard Gadd, exploring themes of trauma, abuse and obsession.
The show follows Gadd’s character, barman and aspiring comedian Donny Dunn, struggle with his dysfunctional relationship with obsessive-stalker Martha.
The show was developed from his original play of the same name which premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2019 before running in both London’s West End and New York.
The Netflix limited series grabbed two wins at the TV Craft awards in April for best director in a fiction and best writer in a drama.
This came alongside their other two nominations for best editing and best sound in a fiction.
At the Television BAFTA awards ceremony on Sunday, May 11, Gadd is in the line-up for leading actor, Jessica Gunning and Nava Mau are in the running for supporting actress, and the entire series is put forward for limited drama.
Despite the uproar surrounding the series, the show proved to be a hit with The Guardian ranking it the second-best TV show of 2024.
Why is it so controversial?
Controversy came from the five words shown at the start of the show – This is a true story.
Following this Fiona Harvey, the woman the internet claimed as the ‘real’ “Martha” threatened legal action, saying the Netflix hit was wrongly marked as accurate.
Ms Harvey has appeared in interviews and on chat shows after waiving her anonymity despite Gadd urging the public not to speculate on her identity.
She filed a $170 million lawsuit against Netflix in the United States for defamation, emotional distress, negligence, gross negligence and violations of her right to publicity.
After Netflix hit back, in September 2024 a US judge dismissed Harvey’s negligence and gross negligence claims alongside her calls for punitive damages.
But she was allowed to continue her defamation claim against the streaming service.
The show received high acclaim from critics and viewers, winning a range of awards from Critics Choice and Screen Actors Guild to Golden Globes and Primetime Emmys.
Other BAFTA frontrunners
Mr Bates vs the Post Office, an ITV drama, has also dominated the 2025 BAFTA season with a total of six nominations across the awards, including leading actor for Toby Jones who played Alan Bates and leading actress for Monica Dolan for her portrayal of Jo Hamilton.
It has also been nominated for the P&O Cruises Memorable Moment award alongside Bridgerton, Gavin & Stacey: The Finale, Rivals, Strictly Come Dancing and The Traitors.
ITV has won the BAFTA Television special award for commissioning the series which dramatised the British Post Office scandal – one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in national history.
Rivals and Slow Horses are also scoring high, holding a further six nominations each across the awards.
Rivals, a period black comedy series based on the 1988 novel of the same name by Jilly Cooper, took home best makeup and hair design and best production design (sponsored by Microsoft) at the TV Craft awards in April, while Slow Horses starring Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden and Kristen Scott Thomas won two titles, claiming best in editing and sound in a fiction.
The BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises, hosted by Alan Cumming, will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall on Sunday, May 11.
You can also watch the red carpet, ceremony clips and exclusive backstage interviews on the BAFTA social media and YouTube channels.
