Derry Girls scoops Bafta award for best scripted comedy

Derry Girls has won the Bafta TV award for best scripted comedy.

Creator Lisa McGee thanked Channel 4, asking it to "please never change" and thanking "our first home, Derry".

The win came after Siobhan McSweeney won best female performance in a comedy programme for her role as Sister Michael, the eye-rolling principal of the show's Our Lady Immaculate College.

Comedians Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan took to the stage to kick-off hosting the ceremony on Sunday, with a host of jokes at the Royal Festival Hall.

The ceremony began with Bafta chairman Krishnendu Majumdar describing public service broadcasting as a "fundamental" part of TV culture in a speech.

Writer Lisa McGee in front of a Derry Girls mural in Londonderry Credit: Liam McBurney/PA

Accepting the Best Scripted Comedy award writer Lisa McGee said: "I'd like to thank our amazing cast and our incredibly talented crew, who always went above and beyond for us."

She added: "I'd like to thank our first home Derry, with its unbreakable spirit and hilarious characters, what a muse you've been.

"When we started making Derry Girls we'd tell people we were making a comedy about teenagers navigating the Troubles and the standard response was, 'That's not funny!'.

"It didn't have runaway hit written all over it but what we found is that in the specific there's always the universal, always the ordinary and the extraordinary and if you really look hard enough there's always light in the dark.

"What an amazing end to our Derry Girls journey, it's been a privilege making this show and thank you for watching."

The Traitors, Bad Sisters, Derry Girls, I Am Ruth all scored two prizes at the Bafta TV awards.

Here is a full list of the winners:

Female performance in a comedy programme - Siobhan McSweeney - Derry Girls Reality and constructed factual - The Traitors Short form programme - How To Be A Person Specialist factual - Russia 1985-1999: Traumazone; Daytime - The Repair Shop: A Royal Visit Sports coverage - Uefa Women's Euro 2022 Male performance in a comedy programme - Lenny Rush - Am I Being Unreasonable? Entertainment Programme - The Masked Singer Supporting actress - Anne-Marie Duff - Bad Sisters Current affairs - Children of the Taliban News coverage - Channel 4 News: Live In Kyiv Single drama - I Am Ruth Mini-series - Mood International - Dahmer-Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Features - Joe Lycett vs Beckham: Got Tour Back At Xmas Drama series - Bad Sisters Factual series - Libby, Are You Home Yet? Single documentary - The Real Mo Farah Comedy entertainment programme - Friday Night Live Soap and continuing drama - Casualty Live event - Platinum Jubilee- Party at the Palace Entertainment performance - Claudia Winkleman - The Traitors Special awards - David Olusoga P&O Cruises Memorable moment - Platinum Jubilee - Party at the Palace Paddington meets the Queen Supporting actor - Adeel Akhtar - Sherwood Leading actor - Ben Whishaw - This Is Going To Hurt Leading actress - Kate Winslet - I Am Ruth Scripted comedy - Derry Girls Special award - David Olusoga Fellowship - Meera Syal

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.