Kate Winslet and Ben Whishaw were among the winners at the BAFTA Television Awards in London held very recently, with the Oscar-winning actor using her acceptance speech to call for action against harmful content on social media.
Winslet was recognised for her portrayal of a mother of a teenager consumed by social media in ‘I am Ruth’, a mini-series in which she starred alongside her real-life daughter, Mia Threapleton.
“ ‘I Am Ruth’ was made for families who feel that they are held hostage by the perils of the online world and for parents who wish they could still communicate with their teenagers but who no longer can,” Winslet said.
She added, “And for young people who have become addicted to social media and its darker sides, this does not need to be your life. To people in power and to people who can make a change, please criminalise harmful content. Please eradicate harmful content. We don’t want it. We want our children back.”
Winslet also referenced Threapleton in her speech, saying: “If I could break it in half, I would give the other half to my daughter. We did this together, kiddo.”
Whishaw won for his portrayal of a doctor working in an obstetrics ward at a London hospital in the medical comedy-drama ‘This is Going to Hurt’, which is based on former doctor Adam Kay’s memoir.