Hull-born Robert Aramayo was one of the well-deserved winners at the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards last night.
Robert Aramayo, 33, took home the coveted Best Actor BAFTA last night (February 22) for his role in I Swear, a biographical drama based on the real life story of John Davidson, a Scottish man with Tourette syndrome.
It's a huge win for the Yorkshire actor, as he was up against major Hollywood heavyweights including Timothee Chalamet (Marty Supreme), Leonardo Dicaprio (One Battle After Another) and Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon).
Not only did he scoop up the Best Actor award, but he also bagged the coveted Rising Star award which was the only one determined by public vote.
Originally from Hull, Robert graduated from the famous Juilliard School in New York and has since built up a number of film credits including Elrong in The Lord of The Rings.
Receiving his dazzling award, Aramayo said: "This is really scary, last time I was at Bafta I dropped the award, so hopefully this will go better.
“I can’t believe this, it really blows my mind. John Davidson is the most remarkable person I’ve ever met and he believes there is so much more we need to learn about Tourette’s."
He continued: “In the words of the film, they need support and understanding. This means the world to me, I can’t believe it.”
And it doesn't stop there for surprise northern winners, as Manchester-raised actress Wunmi Mosaku took home the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress for her incredible performance in Sinners.
Wunmi was already a BAFTA TV Award winner or her role as Gloria Taylor in the 2016 TV film Damilola, Our Loved Boy, but this was her first win on the Film side, and it was a win that has turned the Best Supporting Actress ‘Oscar race’ into one of the more up-in-the-air categories this Awards Season.
Elsewhere in the ceremony, some of the other big winners of the night were One Battle After Another, which scooped Best Film, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson, among others, while Hamnet took Best British Film, and the film’s lead Jessie Buckley won Best Actress in Leading Role – with the latter being, arguably, the only expected and predicted acting win of the night.
The BBC is back casting for the next series of Gladiators, and producers are looking for people from Yorkshire to take part.
The gladiators are ready for a new series… but are the contenders?
That’s right – arguably the most exciting and energetic sports entertainment game show of all time is coming back for another series following its long-awaited reboot back in 2025, and that means that the BBC is looking for some brave new contestants to take part.
Yorkshire residents are among those producers are calling on to consider sticking an application in.
Unfamiliar with the premise of Gladiators? The massively-popular series – which is based on an American show of the same name – sees four contestants compete in a number of physical challenges against the ‘Gladiators’, all with the aim of securing as many points as possible for the final event, which is known as ‘The Eliminator’.
Image: BBC
Contestants battle against each other to win a place in the grand final, and ultimately be crowned the champion for the series.
Putting out a UK-wide casting call on the BBC website this week, producers Hungry Bear Media wrote: “Gladiators, one of the most exciting and energetic sports entertainment game shows ever is back for a fourth series.
“We are on the look out for the bravest members of the British public who have the speed and skill to take on our superhuman Gladiators.”
Reckon that’s you then?
With filming set to start soon, applications are now open for the new series of Gladiators, and all you need to do to be in with a chance of being selected as a contestant is being over 18 years old, and fill out an application form.
You can apply on the BBC website here, before applications close on 31 May 2026.
New BBC TV drama starring Bel Powley and Harley Squires to be filmed in Leeds this spring
Clementine Hall
The BBC has announced a brand-new crime drama set to be filmed in Leeds and Hull.
We all love a BBC drama, and luckily for us one is about to be filmed right here in Leeds.
The new drama will be titled Shy & Lola, starring Harley Squires from The Night Manager and Bel Powley from The Diary of A Teenage Girl.
The six-part series has been described as a "dark comedy" about two women caught up in a murder in the criminal underworld.
The plot follows an unassuming pair in a small coastal town in northern England where the pair both realise they have a hidden talent for crime.
The series synopsis states: "As they build an operation that threatens to blow the local bad guys out of the water, opposing futures beckon – using their earnings to fund a fresh start, or becoming the new bosses in town."
The show is based on a popular French TV series and is written by Amanda Coe, an acclaimed English screenwriter and novelist.
Amanda Coe spoke about the announcement: "With such a rich and spiky central relationship at its core, Shy & Lolais a dream of a show to write, full of fun, action and emotion. I can't wait to see our hugely exciting cast and director bring it to life."
Rachelle Constant, executive Producer for Clerkenwell Films, said: "Amanda has written a brilliantly bold series centred on a dynamic female duo, which blends dark comedy with propulsive storytelling.We’re thrilled to have Hayley and Bel as our leads, alongside an exceptional cast and crew."
The new series will begin filming in Leeds and Hull this spring and will air on BBC One and iPlayer and we'll absolutely be tuning in.
Clementine Hall -
23rd February 2026 
