On Tuesday night, the National Television Awards were headlined by award-winning actress Sarah Lancashire, who won two significant prizes.
In addition to winning an award for outstanding drama performance for her starring part in Happy Valley, Sarah, who confused ITV viewers by revealing her genuine accent during her acceptance speeches, also received this year’s special recognition award during the presentation. Sarah was filled with emotion as she accepted the prize.
Sarah, 58, was once an aspiring actress who talked headshots in the hopes of obtaining a job that would serve as the launchpad for a prosperous career in the entertainment sector. However, even though Sarah is now best known for her role as copper Catherine Cawood, the national treasure was once an actress who talked headshots.
Sarah appeared unrecognizable when she posed in her late 20s during a shoot in 1994, according to a recently-rediscovered photo of the reigning queen of British drama. She wore a dark green velvet gown with black embroidered arms as she sat in the chair for the photo shoot, her blonde hair pulled back in loose curls and pinched up, smokey eye makeup, and a straight face.
The majority of British television viewers first became familiar with Sarah when she made her debut on the cobblestone streets of Weatherfield in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street as beloved bartender Raquel Wolstenhulme.
As a result of her roles in British projects including Where The Heart Is, Clocking Off, and Sally Wainwright’s Bafta-winning mystery drama Happy Valley, the mother-of-three has gone on to become a national icon after leaving the ITV serial in 1996 and temporarily returning in 2000.
The gifted actress paid tribute to her loved ones and thanked her fans after Sir Ian McKellen revealed Sarah as the recipient of this year’s special recognition award at the NTAs on Tuesday night. You have no clue what it feels like to have so many kind things said about you by so many people you love and admire, Sarah stated while speaking on stage at London’s O2 Arena.
“Producers, directors, writers, and actors with incredibly talented backgrounds made it possible for me to spend my whole working life doing what I love, and I am incredibly fortunate to have relished every second of it. However, there are also some who act as facilitators and do so covertly. These people include my husband, my children, my friends, and my agency. You, the audience, are obviously a very important part of all of this because without you, everything would come to an abrupt halt.