Love Island Star Toni Laites Avoids Awkward Encounter with Ex Cach Mercer at BAFTA TV Awards
Love Island star Toni Laites had a close call at the BAFTA Television Awards, where she nearly ran into her ex-boyfriend Cach Mercer on the red carpet. The couple, who were crowned champions of the 2025 series in August, split in March after seven months together. This was their first encounter since their explosive row at the BRITs, which ultimately led to their breakup.
Cach arrived first, dressed in a tartan jacket paired with black trousers and smart black shoes. Toni made her entrance 20 minutes later, turning heads in a silver plunging maxi dress that accentuated her sensational figure. The two stars, who were once inseparable, seemed to avoid any direct interaction during the event.
Toni also spoke about her friendship with the Big Three – Shakira Khan, Yasmin Pettet, and another reality star. She praised their bond, saying: ‘We’re great, me and the girls are amazing as ever. We have a really exciting summer coming up.’ When asked if she would consider returning for the Love Island All Stars spin-off, she said: ‘I’m gonna pass on the dating shows for now. I love the Americans going on the new seasons (Love Island), but they’ll never be me!’
Fans initially speculated about the couple’s split after they both unfollowed each other following their appearance at the BRIT Awards. Earlier reports suggested that the pair were desperate to save their relationship after their clash at the event. A source told The Sun: ‘It’s definitely over with Toni and Cach and they’ve called it quits. It’s a really sad situation but after being on the rocks for a while, the Brits ended up being the final straw and they couldn’t make it work. They kept talking and tried to make things work but have now called it a day.’
Toni recently returned from a work trip to New York with Olivia Attwood and Samie Elishi, while Cach is back from a break in Morocco. Representatives for both stars have not yet commented on the situation.
BAFTA Television Awards: A Night of Celebration and Recognition
The BAFTA Television Awards will be hosted by Greg Davies and broadcast at 7pm on Sunday May 10 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Nominations were announced in March, with Stephen Graham leading the way with 11 nominations for his drama Adolescence and seven for his Disney+ series A Thousand Blows.
The series, created by actor Stephen and writer Jack Thorne, follows the story of British teenager Jamie Miller, who is found guilty of murdering a female classmate after being influenced by the manosphere online. Each episode is filmed in one continuous shot and has been widely praised for addressing topics such as online radicalisation and misogyny. The show is up for Limited Drama and Leading Actor, including the Craft Awards.
Stars like Stephen Graham, Owen Cooper, Ashley Walters, Erin Doherty, and Christine Tremarco are all up for awards. Stephen will compete against Colin Firth, Matt Smith, and Taron Egerton in the Leading Actor category. Ashley will face off against his co-star Owen in the Supporting Actor category, alongside Paddy Considine, Rafael Mathe, Joshua McGuire, and Fehinti Balogun.
Erin Doherty will be up against Aimee Lou Wood, Chyna McQueen, Emilia Jones, and Rose Ayling-Ellis in the Leading Actress category for the first time. Netflix has a total of 29 nominations, but the BBC leads with 73 in total, including five for The Celebrity Traitors.
Highlights of the Evening
The Celebrity Traitors, hosted by Claudia Winkleman, is up for best Entertainment Programme. Prime Video’s Last One Laughing will compete against the all-stars version of the Traitors, with Bob Mortimer up for best Entertainment Performance. Before the ceremony, Fleur East and Roman Kemp will present live on the red carpet on BAFTA’s YouTube.
Cat Burns will perform How To Be Human during the event, while Norwegian singer-songwriter AURORA will perform Through the Eyes of a Child from BAFTA-nominated Netflix series Adolescence. The BAFTA Fellowship will be presented to Dame Mary Berry DBE, and Martin Lewis CBE will receive the BAFTA Television Special Award.
Dame Mary Berry expressed her gratitude: ‘I couldn’t believe it was true, what a huge honour to be presented with the BAFTA Fellowship. For over 50 years, I have enjoyed every moment of teaching my passion on television and I thank all the generous professionals along the way who have given me guidance and support – and I am still learning. This amazing BAFTA Fellowship is the icing on the cake!’
