She made her name in comedy, but Victoria Wood became a double winner last night for her acting on an evening of surprises at the British Academy Television Awards.
The 54-year-old comedienne was crowned Best Actress for the Second World War drama Housewife, 49 - triumphing over Samantha Morton (Longford), Anne-Marie Duff (The Virgin Queen) and Ruth Wilson (Jane Eyre).
In a ceremony at the London Palladium, she also picked up the Best Single Drama award for the adaptation of the wartime diaries of Lancashire housewife Nella Last which she wrote and starred in.
Casualty beat traditional favourites Coronation Street and EastEnders to the soap gong, officially known as Best Continuing Drama. It was the BBC hospital show's first TV Bafta in its 21-year history.
Life On Mars, the BBC's sci-fi police drama series was snubbed by the judges. It had been hotly tipped to scoop Best Drama Series and Best Actor for John Simm but ended up with neither, although it did win the only award of the night voted by viewers.
Victoria Wood's previous five Bafta gongs had all been for her comedy turns.
This time round she received plaudits for her serious acting talents, taking on the lead role of an initially introverted middle-aged character in the ITV drama Housewife, 49.
Wood has been a TV favourite for years with shows including Dinnerladies and Victoria Wood As Seen On TV. Most recently she travelled the globe in BBC series Victoria's Empire.
Ricky Gervais won Best Comedy Performance for his role as Andy Millman, the one-time extra who lands his own TV series in the second series of Extras.
Gervais pipped co-star Stephen Merchant to the title - sweet revenge after Merchant beat him at last year's British Comedy Awards for his performance as the incompetent agent of Andy Millman in the first series of Extras.
Jim Broadbent beat John Simm to the Best Actor prize for his performance in Channel 4's Longford, in which he played a prison reform campaigner who befriended Moors Murderer Myra Hindley.
Gritty Northern drama The Street was named Best Drama Series.
Jonathan Ross picked up his third Bafta, winning Best Entertainment Performance for Friday Night With Jonathan Ross and The Royle Family Christmas special, Queen of Sheba, was named Best Sitcom.
The X Factor won Best Entertainment Programme for the second year running while former EastEnder Ross Kemp scooped the award for Best Factual Series with his Sky One show Ross Kemp On Gangs.
See No Evil: The Moors Murders, ITV1's dramatisation of Britain's most notorious child killings, won Best Drama Serial.
There were also wins for That Mitchell & Webb Look (Best Comedy Programme) and Entourage (Best International Series).
And the winners are...
Best Actor - Jim Broadbent (Longford - Channel 4)
Best Actress - Victoria Wood (Housewife, 49 - ITV1)
Best Entertainment Performance - Jonathan Ross (Friday Night With Jonathan Ross - BBC1)
Best Comedy Performance - Ricky Gervais (Extras - BBC2)
Best Single Drama - Housewife, 49 (ITV1)
Best Drama Series - The Street (ITV1)
Best Drama Serial - See No Evil: The Moors Murders (ITV1)
Best Continuing Drama - Casualty (BBC1)
Best Factual Series - Ross Kemp On Gangs (Sky One)
Best Specialist Factual - Nuremberg: Goering's Last Stand (Channel 4)
Best Single Documentary - Evicted (BBC1)
Best Feature - The Choir (BBC2)
Best Sport - F1: Hungarian Grand Prix - Jenson Button's First Win (ITV1)
Best News Coverage - Granada Reports: Morecambe Bay (ITV)
Best Interactivity - Terry Pratchett's Hogfather (Sky One)
Best International - Entourage (ITV2)
Best Entertainment - Programme The X Factor (ITV1)
Best Situation Comedy - The Royle Family: Queen of Sheba (BBC1)
Best Comedy Programme - That Mitchell & Webb Look (BBC2)
Special Award : Andy Harries Academy Fellowship - Richard Curtis
Pioneer Audience Award - Life On Mars (BBC1)
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