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

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Martin Lewis received a Special Award at the BAFTA TV Awards and delivered a heartfelt speech about his life, moving many in the audience to tears.

Martin Lewis, known as the Money Saving Expert and a familiar face on ITV daytime television, was honored for his ongoing work as a consumer journalist. He’s helped millions of people in the UK manage their finances.

Martin, accompanied by his wife Lara Lewington, found it hard to speak as he paid tribute to his mother at a ceremony this Sunday (May 10, 2026) at Royal Festival Hall. He spoke movingly about losing her when he was young and the challenges he faced growing up.

Lewis playfully described his show as little more than a PowerPoint presentation followed by questions, and celebrated the award as proof that television doesn’t need to rely on rigid formats to be successful.

He explained to the audience that people respond well to things they can actually do, things that are genuine and helpful. They’ll even tackle difficult tasks if they see a clear benefit.

He mentioned he’d written the speech on Thursday, pausing to compose himself as he became emotional. It was exactly 42 years to the day since his mother’s sudden passing, when he was almost 12 years old.

Looking back, it feels like my whole childhood just… stopped. For six years, pretty much all I did was go to school and then come straight home. And now, here I am, accepting a BAFTA! It’s totally surreal.

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

Lewis went on to say that anyone facing personal struggles should know things can improve. He reflected that if he could tell his younger, frightened self he’d become a journalist advocating for change, he wouldn’t have believed it.

He accepted the award as a tribute to the crucial role of consumer journalism. While often overlooked, he pointed out, it’s been vital in helping people navigate challenges like the pandemic, rising energy costs, misleading advertising, and unfair debt collection practices.

He publicly urged the government to reconsider its plan to freeze student loan thresholds next year, stating his hope that it would lead them to reverse what he believes is a morally wrong decision, Chancellor.

In today’s divided world, it’s crucial that those in power are held responsible fairly and with public confidence.

After the applause died down, Lewis congratulated the Scam Interceptors, who had won Best Daytime Show earlier in the evening. He then thanked his talented creative and investigative team, as well as ITV and everyone who watched the show.

He concluded his speech by honoring his daughter, Sapphire, and acknowledging his wife’s birthday with a lighthearted apology, saying, “Sorry for overshadowing your special day!”

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.

Authors

Tilly PearceFreelance Writer

Tilly Pearce is a freelance TV journalist who covers a wide variety of shows, from reality TV like Love Is Blind to science fiction series like Fallout. She’s a highly qualified journalist, accredited with the NCTJ Gold Standard, and has experience working as a Deputy TV Editor at both Digital Spy and Daily Express US.

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2026-05-10 23:34