LION star Dev Patel has said he cannot believe he is accepting a Bafta just 10 years after he made his debut on Skins.
Patel (26) who had never acted professionally before he answered an open casting call for the teen drama, took home the supporting actor award for his role in Lion, a true story about a child separated from his family in India and adopted by a family in Australia.
Speaking backstage, he said: "I really did not expect it, we have gone to so many awards ceremonies and this one is where everything changed, on home turf with my family".
"I used to watch this with them, in Rayners Lane on the end of the Piccadilly Line. It's an out of body experience," he said.
"I will half it with Sunny (Pawar, who plays the younger incarnation of his character). There are a lot of people it should go to."
The other big winners last night included Emma Stone and Casey Affleck, who won the best actress and actor categories respectively, and Viola Davis, who took home the award for best supporting actress.
Damien Chazelle won the director award for musical La La Land, which also won best film.
Veteran director Ken Loach won outstanding British film for I, Daniel Blake.
However there was disappointment for Limerick actress Ruth Negga, who missed out on the Rising Star award to Spider-Man actor Tom Holland, and Irish short The Party which lost out to Home in the short film category.
