Martin Lewis delivers emotional speech at BAFTA Television Awards 2026 - and leaves wife in tears

Martin Lewis moved the BAFTA TV Awards 2026 audience to tears with an emotional speech about his past as he took home the ceremony's Special Award.

The Money Saving Expert, a regular on ITV daytime, was celebrated at the ceremony for his continued work in consumer journalism, helping millions across the country with their financial troubles.

Joined by his wife, Lara Lewington, at the ceremony, held this Sunday (10 May 2026) at Royal Festival Hall, Martin struggled to talk as he made a heartfelt tribute to his mother, who died when he was young, and his difficult upbringing as a result.

Joking that he was winning the award for "an ITV show that's just a PowerPoint presentation with a Q&A afterwards", Lewis announced that the win "proves TV doesn't have to be format-driven".

"People will embrace something actionable, something real, something that helps, and they will even embrace complexity if we make it worth it," he told the audience.

"I wrote this [speech] on Thursday," he noted, before taking a moment to gather himself as he got emotional. "42 years to the day since we suddenly lost my mum just before I was 12.

"My childhood was over. For six years, barring school, I barely left the house. Now I'm picking up a BAFTA."

The cameras then panned to his proud wife, who was weeping in her seat in the audience.

"So to all those of you out there struggling with your own demons, know this life can be transformed," Lewis continued. "It can get better. And if you told that broken, scared boy that I'd proudly be a campaigning journalist, his jaw would have dropped.

He dedicated the award to the ever-important work of consumer journalism, noting it is "not seen as sexy", sadly, but has helped the public deal with a pandemic, energy hikes, scam ads, and aggressive, destructive council tax debt collection.

He then made a public call to the government, adding: "I hope it will force a reversion in the morally wrong plan to student loan threshold freeze due next year, Chancellor, and back to that power.

"To hold power to account with trust and impartiality is needed more than ever in our fractured world."

As the audience applauded, Lewis took a beat to congratulate fellow winners Scam Interceptors, who took home an award for Best Daytime show during the evening, before thanking his creative and investigative team as well as ITV and the viewers that watched.

He ended his speech to pay tribute to his daughter Sapphire, and marking his wife's birthday, joking: "I'm sorry I stole your birthday".

Lewis signed off by declaring, "Tears in my eyes, sadly, it is time for this nerd to party. "

The BAFTA Television Awards are available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.

Visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.