Paddington Meets The Queen, a short film that aired during the BBC’s coverage of the Platinum Jubilee: Party at the Palace, won the first Memorable Moment award at last night’s 2023 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises, the only award at the ceremony voted for by the public.

The winning moment received 15 million YouTube views and shows a footman (Simon Farnaby) carrying a tray of afternoon tea through Buckingham Palace, where he places it onto the table of Her Majesty and her guest Paddington Bear (Ben Whishaw). Paddington wishes the Queen a happy Jubilee, and after drinking all the tea, offers her a marmalade sandwich from under his hat. The Queen then reveals that she has her own sandwich hidden in her handbag. As the footman announces that the Jubilee concert is about to begin, Paddington thanks the Queen “for everything”.

The film was created by Heyday Films and Studiocanal, and directed by Dougal Wilson. It was written by Simon Farnaby, Jon Foster, and James Lamont. The film was praised for its heartwarming and humorous depiction of the Queen and Paddington Bear, and for its ability to bring together two of Britain’s most beloved icons.

In his acceptance speech, Simon Farnaby said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have won this award. It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone who worked on this film, and to the love that people have for the Queen and Paddington Bear. We hope that this film will continue to bring joy to people all over the world.”

The Memorable Moment Award is a new category at the BAFTA Television Awards, and it was created to celebrate those moments in television that have captured the hearts of the nation. Paddington Meets The Queen is a worthy winner of this award, and it is a reminder of the power of television to bring people together.

The six nominees for P&O Cruises Memorable Moment Award 2023 were:

• Derry Girls, Channel 4 – The Finale, the people of Northern Ireland vote overwhelmingly for peace
• Heartstopper, Netflix – Nick and Charlie’s First Kiss
• Platinum Jubilee: Party at the Palace, BBC One – Paddington Meets The Queen
• Stranger Things, Netflix – Lucas, Dustin, and Steve rescue Max from the demonic Vecna by playing her favorite song – Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill
• The Real Mo Farah, BBC One – Sir Mo Farah revealing he was illegally trafficked to the UK
• The Traitors, BBC One – The Final Roundtable