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Richard Osman criticises Bafta over Best Daytime show nominees: ‘Why bother having the category?’

Richard Osman has criticised the Baftas for nominating just three shows in the Best Daytime category at this year’s TV awards.

On Wednesday (22 March) morning, the awards were announced for this year’s celebration of the best in British television. You can read the full list of nominees here.

Up for the gong of Best Daytime show are quiz show The Chase, BBC centenary special The Repair Shop: A Royal Visit, and Rav Wilding’s Scam Interceptors.

However, on Twitter, Pointless creator Osman accused the TV industry of “snobbish” behaviour in failure to nominate four shows.

Daytime TV punches far above its weight in terms of ratings, cost & popularity,” he tweeted.

“To have only 2 daytime shows on this list is a bit of a kick in the teeth for producers. If I made Bridge Of Lies, [Homes Under the Hammer], Come Dine [With Me], Lingo etc I think I’d feel robbed. Why bother having the category?”

The Best Daytime category was introduced in 2021, with four shows being nominated each year. Osman’s gameshow Richard Osman’s House of Games was nominated in both previous years.

Osman continued: “Also, I love all three of those nominated shows (but the brilliant Repair Shop was on at 8pm).”

A Bafta spokesperson told The Independent that programmes entered in the Daytime category are not restricted to broadcasters who use traditional scheduling only, and that any formats by online streamers that fit into the criteria as defined in the rules can also be submitted.

Just three shows were nominated this year as is the norm when less than 20 programmes were submitted in the category, they explained. This is done “to try and ensure proportionality and fairness and that every category remains competitive, as best they can, across the awards”.

The royal special of The Repair Shop, which starred King Charles and celebrated 100 years of the BBC, was deemed eligible “because it was originally commissioned by Daytime and for its volume of output as a series”.

Osman (centre) hosting ‘Richard Osman’s House of Games’ (BBC/Remarkable TV/Graeme Hunter)
Osman (centre) hosting ‘Richard Osman’s House of Games’ (BBC/Remarkable TV/Graeme Hunter)

“Programmes entered in the Daytime category are not restricted to broadcasters who use traditional scheduling only,” the statement continued. Any formats by online streamers that fit into the criteria as defined in the rules can also be submitted.

It comes after Bafta defended the decision to only nominate white actors in the Leading Actress category, while many viewers suggested that This Is Going to Hurt’s Ambika Mod had been snubbed.

Commenting on the list, Bafta CEO Jane Millichip said: “There is representation in that category in the fact that if you look at the age of the actresses and the roles written for them, it is extraordinary.

“This is something that we’ve discussed for a long time in the television and film world: Are there roles written for women over the age of 40? That is a really impressive result.”

The Bafta TV Awards will air on Sunday 14 May at 7pm on BBC One and iPlayer.