Yahoo News Heartstopper wins big at the Digital Spy Reader Awards 2023
It has been a big year for TV, in the worlds of comedy, drama and reality shows, and we asked you to pick your favourites in the Digital Spy Reader Awards 2023.
The votes have been counted – who are your winners?
Read the full rundown below.
TV AWARDS
Best Actor
Joe Locke's moving performance as Charlie in Heartstopper resonated with viewers and gave him the win for Best Actor. It's been a very successful year for the Heartstopper bunch, as two more actors from the hit teen drama made it into the top five – last year's Rising Star winner Kit Connor finished second for playing Nick, and Yasmin Finney in fourth place for her role as Elle (but more on her later…)
Rounding out the top five are two powerhouse actors who led two of the biggest shows of the year – Sarah Lancashire secured third place for playing Catherine Cawood in the final series of Happy Valley, and Pedro Pascal's portrayal of Joel in The Last of Us earned him the fifth spot.
British Rising Star
Heartstopper continues to produce Rising Star winners, with Kit Connor handing over his title to co-star Kizzy Edgell, for their performance as Darcy, with more material to get their teeth into this season.
Queen Charlotte star India Amarteifio is the runner-up this year, for her lead role in the popular Bridgerton spin-off. Ted Lasso's compelling exploration of player Colin's sexuality in its final season earned actor Billy Harris third place for his performance.
Completing the top five are Tamara Lawrance for her role as Abi in gritty prison drama Time, and Saffron Coomber for playing Chantrelle in ITV's Three Little Birds.
Kizzy has sent a message to say thank you to all those who voted:
Most Bingeable Show
Fans clearly love to binge Heartstopper and its wholesome depiction of LGBTQ+ love, with the series taking the title of Most Bingeable Show for the second year in a row.
Fellow Netflix hit Sex Education had us glued to our screens for its fourth and final season and comes in second place, while BBC comedy Ghosts also captured its loyal viewers one last time – before we say a final goodbye to the inhabitants of Button House this Christmas.
Best TV Drama
The Last of Us came in strong with its first season, with the post-apocalyptic video game adaptation earning itself Best TV Drama this year. Prequel Queen Charlotte proved itself a worthy addition to the Bridgerton universe and comes in second, with HBO's Succession bowing out on the highest of highs and taking the third spot.
Best British TV Drama
It's been a strong year for British TV, but Heartstopper continues its success in the 2023 awards by scooping Best British TV Drama for its second season. The final outing for Happy Valley had the nation gripped each Sunday night and takes second place, while Sex Education's final season proved popular with viewers by coming in third.
Best TV Comedy
Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso said goodbye earlier this year, and its farewell season earned the football show Best TV Comedy for the first time. In second place is Only Murders in the Building with its theatrical third season starring Meryl Streep and Paul Rudd, with Netflix's Ginny & Georgia coming in third, following its renewal for both a third and fourth season.
Best TV Moment
Viewers were on the edge of their seats during the incredibly tense showdown between Catherine Cawood and Tommy Lee Royce in the final episode of Happy Valley, the moment that the whole show had been building to – and this scene has been crowned Best TV Moment of 2023.
Sometimes the smallest of scenes can be the most powerful, and this is certainly true of the moment in Sex Education where Aimee responds to the builders who were catcalling her – a short scene that sparked a lot of discussion, coming in second place. Bill and Frank's episode of The Last of Us takes the third spot, in a devastating love story that's regarded as one of the TV episodes of the year.
Best TV Character
Heartstopper has broken new ground in lots of ways, including beautiful transgender representation in the form of Elle Argent, played by Yasmin Finney – and Elle has been voted Best TV Character this year, taking the crown from fellow Heartstopper fave Nick Nelson.
In second place is everyone's favourite no-nonsense police officer Catherine Cawood from Happy Valley, and in third is Sex Education icon Eric Effiong. Rounding out the top five are Ellie from The Last of Us and Crowley from Neil Gaiman's Good Omens.
Most Impactful TV Death (SPOILER WARNING!)
He was the ultimate villain who terrorised Catherine for three series, but Tommy Lee Royce's fiery demise in the final episode of Happy Valley has been voted Most Devastating TV Death. This is perhaps thanks to James Norton's nuanced performance of a father who just wanted to know that his son had had a good life.
The tragic deaths of brothers Henry and Sam in The Last of Us are in second place, and in third is the shock death of Succession's Logan Roy – a twist early in the final season which created a masterful episode of television in 'Connor's Wedding'.
Breakthrough TV Hit
The Last of Us had an explosive first season, earning Breakthrough TV Hit and leaving viewers desperate for the next part of the story. Queen Charlotte has been a great success and comes in at number two, while in third place is Death in Paradise spin-off Beyond Paradise, a series that reunited the show's former stars Kris Marshall and Sally Bretton.
Most Incredible TV Twist (SPOILER WARNING!)
The most disturbing moment in The Last of Us was arguably the discovery that preacher David was leading a cult of cannibals who were killing and eating people from outside the community – a shocking reveal which was voted as the Most Incredible TV Twist this year.
BBC drama The Woman in the Wall comes in second place, with the twist that despite seeing Lorna put a seemingly dead woman behind her wall, when the wall was knocked down there was no-one there.
And in third are the unbelievable final moments of Succession where Shiv turns on Kendall, refusing to vote for her brother and therefore taking the company out of the family’s hands.
Best Reality TV Show
Strictly Come Dancing continues its recent success by winning Best Reality TV Show for the second time in three years. Big Brother's triumphant return to screens after five years away has proved popular with the ITV2 show taking second place, and The Great British Bake Off continues to be a firm favourite among viewers in the third spot this year.
Best Breakthrough Reality Star
She might have just missed out on a place in the final, but The Great British Bake Off's Tasha Stones won the hearts of the nation as the first ever deaf contestant on the show (alongside her BSL interpreter Daryl) and you have voted her your Best Breakthrough Reality Star.
Big Brother was praised for its brilliant casting on its comeback series and this was reflected in the results, with winner Jordan Sangha and finalist Yinrun Huang claiming second and third place respectively.
Rounding out the top five are RuPaul's Drag Race UK fan favourite Banksie, and Married at First Sight UK star Ella Morgan, who made history as the first-ever transgender contestant on the show.
Best TV Documentary
Lewis Capaldi's personal Netflix film Lewis Capaldi: How I'm Feeling Now, which documented his mental health struggles and battle with Tourette's syndrome, resonated deeply with viewers and has been voted Best TV Documentary.
Also included in the top three are offerings from two much-loved Davids: David Attenborough's latest series Planet Earth III, and David Beckham's personal documentary series Beckham.
Best TV Presenter (s)
Big news: Alison Hammond has broken Ant and Dec's four-year winning streak in the category to win Best TV Presenter this year! Chat show king Graham Norton takes second place and the Geordie duo sit in third. Rounding out the top five are Strictly's leading ladies Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman in fourth, and Rylan in fifth.
Alison has sent us this message in response to her impressive win:
"I am honoured to end the year with winning Digital Spy's 'Best TV Presenter' Award. From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank everyone that voted for me and continues to support me on my journey – it doesn't go unnoticed and I will never take it for granted."
Best Axed Show That Should Come Back
Several well-loved shows were sadly cancelled this year, leaving their loyal fans wanting more.
The series that viewers are most desperate to get back is baseball comedy A League of Their Own, which was renewed by Amazon for a second season before later being cancelled. Also mentioned in the top three are two Netflix offerings, fantasy series Shadow and Bone and supernatural show Lockwood & Co.
Best British Xmas TV Special
We all have our favourite iconic Christmas TV episodes to watch each year, but The Vicar of Dibley has taken Best British Xmas TV Special, with the 1996 episode 'The Christmas Lunch Incident' – who could forget all that food? There's also a lot of love for Gavin and Stacey, with second and third place going to their 2008 and 2019 Christmas episodes respectively.
Best Finale
Happy Valley had us hooked until the very end, and its dramatic final episode has been voted Best Finale of 2023, as we said goodbye to one of the best British dramas of recent times.
The final ever episode of Sex Education sits in the runner-up position, while season two of Loki brought the character's story to an end (potentially forever…) with a finale that was voted into third position.
Favourite Streaming Service
The final TV award is for Favourite Streaming Service, and taking the title this year is streaming giant Netflix. Disney+ is going from strength to strength as a platform and takes second place, and in third is classic British public service BBC iPlayer.
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