Tonight's TV BAFTAs was a huge night for Michaela Coel and I May Destroy You. The show not only won best mini series, but its lead actress and creator Michaela was also awarded best actress, for her role as writer Arabella, in the powerful series which explores themes of consent and sexual assault.
During her second acceptance speech of the night, Michaela paid tribute to the show's intimacy director, Ita O'Brien - and said that her work is pivotal to making actors feel safe on set. 'I want to dedicate this award to the director of intimacy, Ita O'Brien,' she said. 'Thank you for your existence in our industry, for making the space safe for creating physical, emotional, and professional boundaries so that we can make work about exploitation, loss of respect, about abuse of power without being exploited or abused in the process.'
Michaela continued, saying that she has worked on sets where this has not been present - and that the difference has been devastating. 'I know what it's like to shoot without an intimacy director, the messy embarrassing feeling for the crew.,' she said. 'The internal devastation for the actor. [Ita] Your direction was essential to my show. And I believe essential for every production company that wants to make work exploring themes of consent.'
Ita is a big name in the industry, and has worked on sex scenes in Normal People and Sex Education. Speaking to theNew Statesman about working with Michaela on I May Destroy You, she said, 'She was phenomenal. Watching her ability to swap hats – her centredness and humility, her ordinariness and inclusiveness, while also doing this ground-breaking intimate content, exposing assaults in so many places and confronting them, and the period sex, I was going, "Yes! Thank you!"'
Tonight is not the first time Michaela has spoken out about consent in the industry. In April, the actress released a statement after the sexual misconduct allegations against actor Noel Clarke were revealed in the [Guardian {href='https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/apr/29/actor-noel-clarke-accused-of-groping-harassment-and-bullying-by-20-women' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'}{
'Speaking out about these incidents takes a lot of strength because some call them "grey areas,"" she continued. 'These are however far from grey. These behaviours are unprofessional, violent and can destroy a person’s perception of themselves, their place in the world and their career irreparably. I have shared to show solidarity, to express my belief in them and to stand with them in their indignation.'
SEE: The Best Dressed Stars At The TV BAFTAs
SEE: The Best Dressed Stars At The TV BAFTAs

Olivia Coleman wearing Alexander McQueen and Cartier jewellery

Jodie Comer wears BOSS

Omari Douglas and Callum Scott Howells wearing Valentino with Olly Alexander.

Nicola Coughlan wears Valentino Haute Couture and Messika jewellery

Ncuti Gatwa in Orange Culture and Blue Burnham jewellery

Aisling Bea

Jessica Plummer in Emporio Armani and Louboutin

Lydia West in Valentino

Rochelle and Marvin Humes

Vick Hope wearing TASAKI jewellery

Sheila Atim wears TASAKI jewellery

Bimini Bon-Boulash wears Balenciaga, Swarovski and custom hat by Fancy Shews

Joe Locke wears Ami suit and Swarovski jewellery

Aimee Lou Wood

Nathaniel Curtis wearing Emporio Armani

Denise Gough

Tom Daley

Michelle Keegan and Mark Wright

Lawrence Chaney

Katie Piper

Allison Hammond

Lorraine Kelly

Munya Chawawa

Tanya Moodie

Emily Watson

Charlotte Hawkins

Benjamin Zephaniah

Ashley Roberts

Niamh Algarattends

Eleanor Tomlinson

Giles Terera

Rose Ayling-Ellis

Camille Cottin

Danielle Marcan

Jo Hartley

Olly Alexander
READ MORE: Michaela Coel Dazzles In Maximilian At The BAFTA TV Awards