Tears as Thaw's widow collects posthumous prize

John Thaw’s widow Sheila Hancock fought back tears as she collected a posthumous prize from viewers at the TV Baftas.

She said her husband - who died exactly two months ago from cancer - would have been overwhelmed at the ‘‘great wave of love’’ shown to her and her daughters since his death.

ITV1’s Buried Treasure, one of Thaw’s final starring roles, landed the prized Lew Grade Audience Award at the star-studded event in London.

Other big winners included BBC2’s The Office, which took two prizes and the ITV1 music talent hunt Pop Idol, which landed the hotly contested best entertainment title.

But it was Hancock’s emotion-charged acceptance speech which dominated the ceremony as she bravely spoke about her husband and his love of pleasing the audience.

In a faltering voice, she told guests - who included a host of top TV names: ‘‘It’s very fitting that the last award that John will ever get - and he got a lot - should be one that’s voted for by the audience.

‘‘John was hugely proud of his respect within the industry .... and he liked it when the critics gave him a good review - but if they didn’t, he always used to say to me ‘it’s only the audience that matter kid, without them we’re nothing’.

‘‘He would have been absolutely overwhelmed and moved beyond belief at the great wave of love that has come towards my daughters and I since his death.

‘‘It seems to have made people really very sad indeed.’’

As she stood beside Thaw’s child co-star Dominique Jackson, she said: ‘‘I’ve been asked if I would thank you all on behalf of John and I’m happy, no I’m not happy, I’m proud to do that.’’

Thaw died of cancer of the oesophagus in February and was described as a ‘‘national treasure’’ by colleagues after he passed away.

He was famed for his performances as Inspector Morse and Jack Regan in The Sweeney, often portraying curmudgeonly cops.

But in Buried Treasure he played a tough businessman whose heart is melted by his previously unknown granddaughter.

Controversial Channel 4 spoof Brass Eye, which upset viewers and prompted a wave of protest after tackling media representations of paedophilia, failed to win a prize, despite two nominations.

However, the station’s funnyman chat host Graham Norton took best entertainment performance for the third year running, beating Pop Idol hosts Ant and Dec to the prize at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

The Office collected best sitcom and its star and creator Ricky Gervais landed the comedy performance title.

And he took a joking swipe at BBC2 whose audiences would be only a fraction of those for the screening of the Bafta ceremony.

‘‘It is great to be on ITV - it’s a proper channel, isn’t it? On BBC2, I’m tired of this ‘You have got 2.1 million and an 11% share.’’’

EastEnders won the battle of the soaps for the third time in four years, just days after gripping the nation with the trial of Little Mo.

Actress Kacey Ainsworth, who played the domestic violence victim who tried to take revenge on her wicked husband Trevor, collected the prize.

And she joked: ‘‘I am really happy to be accepting this award for EastEnders seeing as I was sent to jail the other day.’’

And after the ceremony she pointed out how the storyline had touched the nation.

Ainsworth said: ‘‘There are signs outside the front of the theatre saying ‘Free Little Mo’ and Alex (Ferns who plays Trevor) was booed when he came in.’’

Racing commentary legend Murray Walker, the voice of Formula One for decades, was honoured with a special award for his contribution to TV at last night’s ceremony - officially called the British Academy Television Awards, sponsored by Radio Times.

BBC 2’s Louis Theroux won the Richard Dimbleby Award for Best Presenter for the second successive year, for his When Louis Met programmes in which he spends time with offbeat celebrities.

Michael Gambon landed the Best Actor title for the third successive year for his performance in BBC 2’s Perfect Strangers, while Julie Walters was named best actress for My Beautiful Son, beating Sheila Hancock.

Screenwriter Andrew Davies - the unsung hero who has brought to life many of TV’s top period dramas such as Vanity Fair, Pride and Prejudice - was given an Academy Fellowship. He also saw his BBC 1 Series The Way We Live Now, snapping up the Drama Serial Prize.

Sky News landed its first ever Bafta for its reporting of September 11, as the world was rocked by the terrorist outrages in New York and Washington.