Lucy Punch and the Amandaland Snub at the BAFTA TV Awards
Despite being celebrated as a ‘comedy icon’ in the second series of Amandaland, Lucy Punch found herself among the ‘snubs’ at the BAFTA TV Awards. The British star was nominated for Best Actress in a Comedy for her performance in the first season of the BBC show, but ultimately failed to win the award. Alongside her co-stars Jennifer Saunders and Philippa Dunne, who were also in the same category, Lucy did not take home the prize.
The category was rounded out by Diane Morgan, known for her role in Mandy, Rosie Jones from Pushers, and overall winner Katherine Parkinson for her work in Here We Go. Fans took to social media to express their disappointment, with many claiming that the three actresses from Amandaland were ‘robbed’. One user shared a meme suggesting that Lucy was ‘ignoring the verdict’, while others lamented the outcome.
Another fan wrote: ‘Three iconic women from Amandaland nominated for best comedy actress, plus OG Motherland actress Diane Morgan and none of them won?! Robbery I tell you.’
Some fans also suggested that Philippa Dunne should have won, citing her character Anne as particularly funny, especially in the second series. Others believed that the winners were decided by a small jury, making the outcome unpredictable.
Amandaland Wins Best Scripted Comedy
Despite the snubs in the acting category, Amandaland went on to win Best Scripted Comedy. The BBC series follows the downfall of Amanda, the snooty Queen Bee from Motherland, who moves from a luxurious life in Chiswick to becoming a single mother in South Harlesden, which she dubs ‘SoHa’.
Writer Holly Walsh expressed her delight when people mentioned watching the show with their children. She said: ‘We can all enjoy watching a posh woman from Chiswick getting hit in the face with a football.’
The show, which has been hailed as a ‘triumph’ and the ‘best sitcom by a mile’, beat competitors such as Big Boys, How Are You?, Its Alan (Partridge), and Things You Should Have Done.
Christine Tremarco’s Surprising Win
Elsewhere at the BAFTAs, Christine Tremarco made a surprising win in the Best Supporting Actress category, beating her co-star Erin Doherty, who had previously won a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award.
Lucy Punch played the role of Amanda in all three seasons of Motherland before bringing the character back in a special Christmas episode last year. The show received widespread praise for its comedic antics.
Critical Acclaim for Series Two
Following the return of Amandaland, critics praised the show with the Daily Mail and the Telegraph giving it five stars. They described the show as ‘bursting with invention, so full of possibilities that it crams three or four sources of fun into half an hour.’
Lucy’s performance was widely praised, with her mother Felicity, played by Joanna Lumley, and Philippa Dunne, who plays downtrodden Anne, being called ‘magnetic’ and ‘sterling’ in their supporting roles.
Amanda’s New Life as an Online Influencer
In series two, Amanda finds her niche as an online influencer. Although she doesn’t have any followers, she still manages to create a lifestyle brand that becomes her sole focus. Reviewers have compared her to comedy icons like The Office‘s David Brent and Steve Coogan’s Alan Partridge, highlighting her cringeworthy lack of self-awareness, arrogance, and hidden insecurities.
Rachel Aroesti of The Guardian wrote: ‘Amanda slots neatly into a lineage of British comedy icons; file her next to the delusional, narcissistic, indefatigable likes of Alan Partridge and David Brent.’
Katie Rosseinsky of The Independent gave the show four stars, saying: ‘It’s relatively straightforward comic fodder, but the jokes are sharp and sometimes unexpectedly dark enough to puncture the cosiness.’
Huw Fullerton of Radio Times praised the second series as a ‘comedy triumph,’ noting that it is a ‘winning confluence of characters, plotting and gag-writing that makes a sitcom worth returning to.’
