BAFTA has announced that Martin Lewis CBE will be presented with this year’s BAFTA Television Special Award.
The award is presented to an individual or organisation that has “made an outstanding contribution to television, in recognition of a remarkable body of work that has had a significant cultural, social or industry impact.”
Previous recipients of the BAFTA Television Special Award include ITV for Mr Bates & The Post Office, Idris Elba, Lorraine Kelly, David Olusoga, Delia Smith, Lenny Henry and Shonda Rhimes.
Through his consumer website MoneySavingExpert.com, his long-running ITV series The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, his role as presenter and expert on Good Morning Britain, and his position as resident expert on This Morning, “he has empowered millions of people with the financial knowledge and confidence to take control of their lives.”
The Martin Lewis Money Show launched in 2012 and in 2020 became The Martin Lewis Money Show Live as the programme moved to a live format. It consistently draws audiences of around 2.5 million viewers with a 20% audience share, almost always topping the list of current affairs programmes in the broadcast charts.
He has been at the forefront of some of the most important consumer campaigns of the past two decades. He got consumers £1bn back in unfair bank charges and £10bn for PPI, made governments change course many times, on energy bills, mortgage policy, and even in recent weeks on council tax debt collection, and his charity is at the forefront of trying to improve the intersection between money and mental health issues.
His contribution to public life has been recognised formally on multiple occasions. Martin was appointed CBE in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to broadcasting and consumer rights.
Martin Lewis said: “For many years, people assumed I was a financial adviser. I’m not. I never have been. I am, proudly, a broadcast journalist. That is why this level of recognition at BAFTA’s TV Awards feels so meaningful. If someone had told the young man retraining in 1997 for a postgrad in broadcast journalism that this would happen, his jaw would have dropped, he’d have smiled in disbelief, and asked: ‘What on earth for?’ And, truthfully, I still feel a bit like that today.
“Campaigning journalism does not just mean exposing stories. It can also mean engaging viewers to take action. I’m incredibly grateful for the privilege ITV has given me over the past 14 years, inviting me into people’s sitting rooms, in the evenings, with a platform to share information that I believe can help improve people’s quality of life. Yet I’m most grateful for the privilege so many of those watching have given me by listening and acting on it. Thanks so much to BAFTA for recognising that, it’s incredible, and in doing so it shines a much-needed spotlight on TV consumer journalism, which plays a vital role in society to help redress the imbalance of power between consumers and the big institutions of commerce and the state.
“And of course, a giant thumbs up and grateful nod to my amazing teams at my show, and MoneySavingExpert, and all others I work with, for all the hard work behind the scenes that lets me do what I do.”
Jane Millichip, CEO of BAFTA, said: “We are delighted to honour Martin Lewis with the BAFTA TV Special Award. For many years Martin has been a powerful voice in British television, informing millions across the UK how to manage their finances, and empowering them to understand and stand up for their rights. Martin has consistently proved the power of television to drive positive societal change. His expertise is unique in the TV landscape and his ability to turn information into meaningful, tangible advice is unmatched. We cannot wait to celebrate him alongside all of the nominees at this year’s BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises.”
The BAFTA Television Special Award will be presented to Martin Lewis during the 2026 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises ceremony on Sunday 10 May at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall. The ceremony will be hosted by Greg Davies and will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Jon Creamer
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