It's tonight – the biggest night of the year for British television, with stars and programme-makers gathering at the Royal Festival Hall in London for the 2018 British Academy Television Awards.

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The best shows from the past year are all hoping to take home an iconic golden-faced statue, in what's set to be a star-studded evening. Here's everything you need to know about this year's Bafta Television Awards, including who's tasked with hosting the event, and when and where to watch the ceremony.

When are the Bafta TV Awards on TV?

The coverage starts at 8pm on Sunday 13th May on BBC1.

Why don't the Bafta TV Awards air at the same time as the ceremony?

The ceremony itself begins at 6:45pm but the BBC broadcast begins at 8pm – but don't worry, you can catch ALL the twists and turns of the evening as they happen with RadioTimes.com's live blog.

When does the ceremony finish?

The ceremony lasts two hours and 45 minutes and concludes at 9:30pm. The BBC will broadcast a truncated version, coming in at two hours and missing out some of the categories.

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Which celebrities are attending?

Plenty! The likes of Jodie Whittaker, Sir David Attenborough, Thandie Newton and Claire Foy will all be in attendance, as will the Love Island gang and Declan Donnelly, Vanessa Kirby, Adrian Dunbar and more. See the full list here.

Can I watch online?

You can watch the ceremony itself live on BBC iPlayer from 8pm.

Who's hosting the awards ceremony?

Bake Off alumnus Sue Perkins is returning to host the Bafta TV Awards for the second year in a row, while Love Island narrator Iain Stirling will be providing a live voiceover for the ceremony.

Who's nominated?

Claire Foy, Thandie Newton, Jodie Whittaker, Sir David Attenborough and Declan Donnelly are among the stars set to attend the Bafta TV Awards 2018.

Foy and Newton are both nominees in the best leading actress category, for their roles in the Crown and Line of Duty respectively.

Doctor Who is nominated in the must-see moments category for its announcement of Whittaker as the Thirteenth Time Lord (and first female Doctor in the show's history), while Attenborough is nominated twice for Blue Planet II, first for the must-see moment when a mother pilot whale grieves for its calf, and also for the series as a whole.

Donnelly will be attending the event without Ant McPartlin, his co-presenter on Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, which is nominated for best entertainment programme.

Line of Duty, The Crown, Three Girls and Black Mirror lead the nominations, with Joe Cole nominated for best leading actor for his role in Black Mirror: Hang the DJ.

See the full list of 2018 nominees here.

Who was snubbed?

Notable absentees from this year's shortlist include Doctor Foster – one of the most-watched shows of 2017 – and Broadchurch, which concluded its run with a critically-acclaimed final series. The latest Sherlock episodes have been overlooked, although Martin Freeman will be in attendance to hand out an award, and Bake Off has also missed out on a nod – edged out of their category by Cruising with Jane McDonald.


“There’s snobbery at work here”: Bafta TV keeps snubbing popular dramas like Broadchurch and Doctor Foster


Who is receiving the Bafta Fellowship and Bafta Special Award?

War reporter Kate Adie OBE will be receiving the Bafta Fellowship, while commentator John Motson OBE, receiving the Special Award, will also be in attendance on the night.

Adie, who currently hosts Radio 4’s From Our Own Correspondent, said it was “lovely” and that she felt “very honoured” to be given the Fellowship.

Who are the favourites?

The Crown stars Claire Foy and Vanessa Kirby are being tipped to land the female acting prizes, with Ant and Dec odds-on favourites to claim Best Entertainment Programme.

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Read more about the Bafta favourites here.

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