Lorraine Kelly says being sworn at by Brian Cox was a ‘career highlight’ at Bafta TV Awards 2024

Lorraine Kelly described being sworn at by Brian Cox as “one of the highlights” of her career while accepting a prize at the 2024 Bafta TV Awards.

Cox, who played the foul-mouthed media tycoon Logan Roy on the HBO drama Succession, was presenting the Lorraine host with the Bafta Special Award.

“Coxy!” said Kelly, 64, after being handed the trophy.

“One of the highlights of my career was when Brian told me to ‘eff off’,” she revealed, before adding: “In character! At least I think it was in character.”

Cox, meanwhile, paid tribute to the much-loved ITV presenter in his introductory speech.

He said: “My late sister Betty was a huge fan of this year’s recipient and when I asked her why she loved her so much, her reply was this: ‘She’s real.’”

“Her indominable spirit has etched her name as an integral part of British daytime television. Her infectious humour, boundless enthusiasm and genuine, genuine kindness instantly draws people in, and she truly deserves this recognition tonight.”

Cox was nominated on the night for his performance in Succession, although ultimately lost out in the Best Actor category to Timothy Spall.

Spall took home the prize for his performance in the BBC One crimem drama The Sixth Commandment.

Elsewhere on the night, viewers were left bemused by a live dance performance paying tribute to the Birmingham-set crime series Peaky Blinders.

“Other than the costumes and the music, this has absolutely nothing to do with Peaky Blinders. I don’t get it,” one person wrote.

This year’s Baftas was hosted by comedians Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan, who were also nominated twice for their Sky reality series.

Among the celebrities to appear at London’s Royal Festival Hall on the night was Joe Lycett, who was dressed as Queen Elizabeth after losing a bet.

At the start of the evening, the nominees list was headed up by The Crown and Black Mirror, with eight and seven nominations respectively.

Happy Valley, Slow Horses and The Sixth Commandment were all nominated six times, while The Last of Us, The Long Shadow and Succession had five.

You can keep up with the winners list here.