Happy Valley swansong triumphs at TV Choice Awards

The gritty crime series won best drama and best actress

The final season of Happy Valley triumphed at the TV Choice awards, where the gritty crime series was named best drama and star Sarah Lancashire was named best actress.

The swansong of creator Sally Wainwright’s Yorkshire-set thriller already has a string of awards under its belt.

Lancashire was presented with the best actress gong for her portrayal of no-nonsense sergeant Catherine Cawood by The Traitors stars Wilfred Webster and Paul Gorton.

Beyond Paradise, the UK-based spin-off of smash hit Death In Paradise, was named best new drama.

The series, which launched last year, saw Kris Marshall reprise his Death In Paradise role as DI Humphrey Goodman as he attempted to adjust to life with his fiancee Martha Lloyd – played by Sally Bretton – on the Devonshire coast.

Marshall, 50, told PA: “We’re just absolutely thrilled and it just means so much because it’s viewers (voting) as well.”

Speaking on why he thought the show had won, he added: “I think it’s a really unique show and we were really lucky we came from a really successful spin-off and so we already had a bit of a helping hand up, but also we needed to be a completely different show and the audience really went for it.”

Doc Martin star Martin Clunes was named best actor while Call The Midwife was named best family drama.

Stephen McGann, who plays Dr Patrick Turner in the BBC One programme, told PA: “People still vote for us and it’s really surprising to still be here and to still be loved the way we are by people, you know it’s nothing to do with us, it’s about them and their responses.”

ITV soap Emmerdale landed two prizes, taking home best soap and best soap actor, for Jeff Hordley as Cain Dingle.

Hordley, 53, told PA: “I’m just really honoured just to be in the mix with people, there’s so many great actors out there in the soap world.”

Mrs Brown’s Boys was named best comedy show, while I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! was named best reality show for the 18th time.

The ceremony, hosted by comedian Tom Allen at The Hilton on Park Lane, also saw BBC’s Animal Park triumph over This Morning to be named best daytime show, while Gogglebox was named best entertainment show.

Wildlife cameraman and presenter Hamza Yassin told PA: “The show’s been going for 20 years, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

“There’s always new generations learning about conservation and the natural world… I think it (Animal Park) could be going on for another 100 years.”

Dame Maureen Lipman was given the best soap actress prize, while The Chase triumphed in a new category, best game show.

Published: 13/02/2024 by Radio NewsHub