The 2026 Bafta TV awards saw the biggest names in showbiz gather for a star-studded ceremony last night.
Netflixâs Adolescence made history by taking home four Baftas â the most wins ever at a ceremony in a single year.
Meanwhile, the Celebrity Traitors, which was the most-watched show of last year with more than 15 million viewers, won best reality programme.
However, following Alan Carrâs win for most memorable TV moment after his Traitors success, I couldnât help but feel like there was a huge missed opportunity.
The 49-year-oldâs competition included moments from Adolescence, Last One Laughing and Blue Lights.
But it was the snub of Channel 4âs Big Boysâ utterly heartbreaking âI didnât make itâ scene and when Byron first introduces herself as Paris in BBCâs groundbreaking What It Feels Like For A Girl that felt like a dagger to the heart.
Itâs important to preface that the most memorable TV moment award is voted by the fans.
Carrâs victory speech when collecting the award may also well have been the funniest moment of the ceremony.
And, thatâs not to mention that there was no shortage of curveball victories on the night after Code of Silenceâs best drama win to Katherine Parkinson taking home the award for best actress.
However, following the juggernaut success of The Traitors and Carrâs iconic personality, it felt markedly wrong to put two of TVâs most tender and heartbreaking scenes in recent memory up against Claudia Winklemanâs reality show.
The Bafta awards has, rightly, carved out numerous different categories to recognise the wide array of talent in the TV industry.
But both Big Boys and What It Feels Like For A Girl were left short changed in a mismatched option.
Jack Rookeâs Edinburgh Fringe show turned TV sensation, which took off in 2022, featured one of the most almighty final punches in its stellar third season, which was given five stars by Metroâs Asyia Iftikhar.
In part a side-splitting comedy, this final scene is so quietly devastating and beautiful that it deserved to be recognised.
Similarly, Paris Leeâs woefully under appreciated and potentially genre-defying BBC Three series took too great a step forward to be put up alongside a reality series for what could have been a momentum shifting award.
Each of these showâs moments delivered raw, honest explorations, from Big Boysâ commentary on menâs mental health to What It Feels Like For A Girl providing some much needed representation of the trans community.
So, if Bafta and the public didnât award these scenes, Iâd like to urge you all to take the time to feel the force and weight of these topics.
Big Boys is available to stream on Channel 4, while What It Feels Like For A Girl can be found on BBC iPlayer.
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