Danny Dyer, 47, breaks major Bafta TV Awards rule as full unedited speech emerges after BBC cut
Danny Dyer broke Bafta TV Awards rules by swearing multiple times during his acceptance speech on Sunday night.
The 47-year-old actor had been warned earlier about the Bafta rules against using expletives on stage, with an emotional Dyer letting several F-bombs slip during his speech at London’s Royal Festival Hall.
The expletives were edited out before the ceremony aired on BBC One after a delay.
Host Alan Cumming was forced to apologise for the “naughty language” as Dyer left the stage with his award.
Dyer’s uncensored speech was heard by those in the audience, while television viewers received a toned-down version.
The former EastEnders star became visibly emotional while accepting the award, which came as his first ever Bafta award after thirty years in the industry.
The actor received the accolade for Best Male Performance in a Comedy for his role in Sky series Mr Bigstuff.
In the show, Dyer plays Lee, a prescription medication dealer who turns up at his estranged brother’s house.
When collecting his award, Dyer joked: “What a touch! Comedy performance. Thought my acting was so bad it was funny.”
He dedicated the award to writer and co-star Ryan Sampson, calling him “one of the greatest things to come out of Rotherham.”
Dyer beat strong contenders including Bilal Hasna, Dylan Thomas-Smith, Nabhaan Rizwan, Oliver Savell, and Phil Dunning to win the Bafta.
The win comes during a successful period for Dyer, who has also received praise for his role in Rivals.
Dyer’s unedited speech revealed his emotional state as he gave messages of thanks, stating: “I want to thank Sky for giving our show a shot. F***ing hell, I’m choked up.”
He praised Sampson effusively, saying: “One of the best actors this country’s ever produced, I’m telling you. Never done the same thing twice. Which is not something I can say.”
The actor continued to struggle with his emotions: “He wrote this part for me, so you know… I’m getting choked up again, f**k me.”
Dyer concluded his speech with a heartfelt message to his daughters who were in the audience: “Girls, Sunnie and Dani. I’ve done it girls, I’ve f***ing done it!
“The ceremony was presented by actor Alan Cumming, who made his hosting debut at the Bafta TV Awards.
The 60-year-old began the show in Traitors style, wearing the well-known dark cloak in the Scottish Highlands castle.
Other big winners on the night included Mr Bates vs The Post Office, which won for Best Limited Drama.
ITV was recognised with the Bafta TV special award for commissioning the four-part series about the Horizon scandal.
Industry star Marisa Abela won the Leading Actress award for her role as Yasmin Kara-Hanani, while the Leading Actor honour went to Mr Loverman star Lennie James.
EastEnders, Dyer’s former show, also claimed the Best Soap award during the star-studded ceremony.
Netflix drama Baby Reindeer was another major winner at the event.