Bafta TV awards 2021: why Aimee Lou Wood’s “frantic” speech has won the hearts of viewers

“Now, I said that I’d break [this award] into pieces and share it with everyone,” Wood continued. Which, for all those who somehow didn’t get that ultra-millennial reference, was a clear call-back to the moment Mean Girls’ Cady Heron broke her Spring Fling queen crown into pieces and used them to celebrate all the other girls around her. 

Unfortunately, however, Wood’s benevolent plans fell flat when she saw (and felt the weight of) the award IRL.

“It’s solid, Daisy [Haggard],” she called out to one of her fellow nominees. 

“It’s solid! So I’ll give you a metaphorical piece to everyone in my category, especially Emma Mackie who’s the best scene partner and best friend…”

Wood then went on to list off a number of people she’d like to thank (including the cast, the crew, her mum, her nanna, and “the whole shebang!”), before stopping with a start and noting: “Sorry, I’m meant to be doing this to a camera, aren’t I, Richard?”

Looking around wildly, she added comedically: “I don’t even know where it is.”

Check it out:

No wonder so many people are calling her win “utterly deserved,” eh?

The 2021 TV Baftas is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.