Actress Cathy Tyson championed broadcaster Channel 4 during her BAFTA TV Awards speech.
The 56-year-old won a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Help, a Channel 4 drama set in a care home in Liverpool. She plays Polly, a resident in the care home.
She stars alongside Jodie Comer and Stephen Graham, who have both been nominated for awards for their part in the show. When collecting her BAFTA, Cathy said the experience was “a bit surreal”.
READ: Jodie Comer arrives on BAFTA red carpet for Channel 4 series Help nomination
She also took the opportunity to pay tribute to Channel 4, and the role it has played in British broadcasting. She said: “I remember being a teenager when Channel 4 was born… They are a voice for the people who were unheard at the time and still continue to do so.”
During the speech, cameras panning to her beaming co-stars Jodie Comer and Stephen Graham in the audience. Cathy, who was married to actor and DJ Craig Charles, thanked Help director Marc Munden for his direction throughout the show.
She also thanked her partner and son, Jack Tyson Charles, before getting choked up on the stage. Fans have taken to Twitter to express their delight at the actresses win.
@djnikkibeatnik said: “Cathy has deserved all her flowers for years !!!!”. @JaneElizIreland agreed: “Oh I'm so thrilled for Cathy Tyson, winning a BAFTA for Help”
Cathy had dropped out of college at the age of 17 to pursue a career in acting, before joining the Liverpool Everyman's Theatre. She is known for her role in the 1986 film Mona Lisa.
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