Kate Winslet uses BAFTA speech to condemn harmful social media content

By Steve Hopkins

‘We don’t want to lie awake terrified for our children’s mental health’

Kate Winslet won Best Leading Actress at the BAFTA TV Awards on Sunday and used her speech to make a heartfelt plea over social media, urging “the people in power to criminalise harmful content”. “We don’t want it and we want our children back,” Winslet said, accepting the coveted award for her performance in Channel 4’s ‘I Am Ruth’. The Mare of Easttown star has won three BAFTA Film Awards but this is her first TV win. Winslet won in a crowded category, beating I Hate Suzie Too’s Billie Piper, Imelda Staunton’s Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown, Maxine Peake (Anne), Vicky McClure (Without Sin) and Happy Valley lead Sarah Lancashire. https://twitter.com/BAFTA/status/1657842236174786568 ‘I Am Ruth’, which also won Best Single Drama, explored a relationship between a mother and teenage daughter experiencing severe mental health issues in the social media age. In her acceptance speech, Winslet called out social media bosses and governments to do more to protect children. “We don’t want it and we want our children back,” Winslet said. “We don’t want to lie awake terrified for our children’s mental health. To any young people who are listening, please ask for help, there is no shame in admitting you need support, just ask for it.” The star’s daughter, Mia Threapleton, played her daughter in ‘I Am Ruth’ and Winslet said she wished she could “cut the award in half and give it to her.” “We did this together, kiddo,” she added. “There were days when it was agony for [Mia] to dig as deeply as she did into this frightening, emotional territory.” Winslet also paid tribute to ‘I Am Ruth’ creator Dominic Savage for creating “the space to tell women’s stories.”

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