Jessie Wallace earns first BAFTA nod

Jessie Wallace earns first BAFTA nod (Image credit: UK Press/Press Association Images)

EastEnders actress Jessie Wallace has earned her first BAFTA nomination - for a drama about Coronation Street. Jessie has been nominated in the best supporting actress category for her role as Pat Phoenix in BBC4's Road to Coronation Street, which has also been nominated for best single drama. The drama also earned Lynda Baron her first BAFTA nomination - after more than 45 years in the industry. BBC1 drama Sherlock also picked up a trio of nominations for best drama series, leading actor (Benedict Cumberbatch) and supporting actor (Martin Freeman). In the leading actor category, Benedict goes up against Jim Broadbent (Any Human Heart) and first-time nominees Matt Smith (Doctor Who) and Daniel Rigby (Eric and Ernie). Misfits has earned four nominations for drama series and new media with Robert Sheehan and Lauren Socha nominated in the supporting actor and actress categories. Both Misfits and Sherlock are up against Downton Abbey and Being Human in the drama series category. Waterloo Road receives its first nomination in the Continuing Drama category. It is joined by previous winners Casualty, Coronation Street and EastEnders. Vicky McClure and Johnny Harris are nominated for This is England '86 in the leading actress and supporting actor categories. Also nominated for leading actress are double BAFTA winner Anna Maxwell Martin for South Riding, Natalie Press for Five Daughters and Juliet Stevenson for Accused. Graham Norton hosts the Philips British Academy Television Awards from London's Grosvenor House on Sunday, May 22. For a full list of all nominees click here

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.

An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.