Adolescence favourite Stephen Graham breaks down amid co-star's emotional BAFTAs 2026 speech
Christine Tremarco took home Best Supporting Actress in a Drama for playing the mother of troubled Jamie in Adolescence.
Adolescence creator and star Stephen Graham was seen crying during co-star Christine Tremarco's acceptance speech at the BAFTA TV Awards 2026.
Adolescence was shot in one continuous take per episode and stared newcomer Owen Cooper as 13-year-old Jamie Miller, a schoolboy who's arrested on suspicion of murdering his classmate Katie.
The Netflix original became one of the most talked-about TV series of recent years, becoming a topic of discussion among families around the globe, online, and even within political spheres.
Critics agreed with the overwhelmingly positive feedback fans gave the show after Adolescence led the way at the BAFTA TV Awards 2026 with a total of 12 nominations, including best limited drama, best leading actor (Stephen Graham), best supporting actor (Ashley Walters and Owen Cooper) and best supporting actress (Christine Tremarco).
The show won two BAFTA Television Craft Awards with Owen Cooper and Christine Tremarco each being successful in their categories.
Tremarco graciously accepted her award with a speech that saw Stephen Graham and his wife Hannah Walters break down crying.
In her speech, Tremarco said: "Oh, my goodness. Thank you so much BAFTA. I feel so privileged to be standing up here holding this BAFTA.
"I feel so honoured to be a part of adolescence. I hold this BAFTA high to Hannah Walters and Stephen Graham, thank you so much, and thank you to you both to our long time friendship,"
The camera turned to Stephen and Hannah in the audience who were visibly moved by her words and wiping away tears.
She continued: "To the wonderful Jack Thorne, thank you Jack. Our brilliant director, Phil Bantini, thank you to Owen and Emily, the best on-screen kids ever. Thank you to all of our wonderful cast, especially Ashley and Fay.
"To our phenomenal crew. Thank you. This is for us all. To my agent, Jack Collins, thank you so much, and to all of my family and friends. Thank you for all the support. And to my sister, Jane, this is for you. Thank you so much."
Owen Cooper, who was just 14 when he made his acting debut in the show, also took home the Supporting Actor award for playing Jamie.
As he took to the stage, he credited his cast and his family, saying he'll "never forget" the experience.
He then paid tribute to his idol as he said: "In the words of John Lennon, you won't get anything unless you have the vision to imagine it.
"In my eyes, I think you only need three things to succeed in life. You need one, an obsession. Two, a dream, and three, The Beatles. So thank you so much!"
As well as the 12 nominations for Adolescence, Stephen Graham's other show A Thousand Blows received a further seven nominations, making him the person with the total most nominations at the BAFTA TV Awards 2026.
Adolescence is available to stream now on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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Authors
Phoebe Kowhai Barnes is a Freelance Writer who covers pop culture and entertainment programmes for the Radio Times. She previously worked as the Senior Assistant Editor at The Tab where she managed its local department. She obtained a BA (Hons) in English Literature from University of Nottingham.
Tilly Pearce is a freelance TV journalist whose coverage ranges from reality shows like Love Is Blind to sci-fi shows like Fallout. She is an NCTJ Gold Standard accredited journalist, who has previously worked as Deputy TV Editor (maternity cover) at Digital Spy, and Deputy TV & Showbiz Editor at Daily Express US.
