James Corden and Ruth Jones collected the Judges’ Award for their work on Gavin and Stacey at the Royal Television Society Awards, where the TV star made his feelings clear

James heaped praise on the BBC and dubbed it an institution that needs to be protected(Image: WireImage)

James Corden urged for the BBC to be protected as he collected an award at the Royal Television Society Awards last night. The Gavin and Stacey star picked up the Judges’ Award alongside his co-creator Ruth Jones at the event.

In their speech, James made his feelings clear about the BBC, having moved away from the UK for some time to work in the United States. Saying how “blessed” he felt to call the UK home, he urged for the institution to be “protected”.

Collecting the award alongside Ruth Jones, he said: “Right now as an industry we are facing so much uncertainty, budgets tightening, platforms consolidating and the sheer volume of content sometimes make you feel like you are shouting into the void.

“But I urge you not to let it dim your light. We are blessed to live in a place that has the BBC and the National Theatre and these institutions are the pinnacle of this country’s creative output.”

James and Ruth collected an award last night(Image: WireImage)

He added: “After living away for so many years I cannot tell you how much these institutions need to be protected. But perhaps the challenges that we face today are not signals to retreat but a challenge to do the opposite.”

Following the success of Adolescence, James added: “When you see the response to a show like Adolescence these past few days maybe it’s telling us that now might be the time to actually be bolder and to back the ideas that perhaps might scare you a little.”

Netflix show Adolescence follows the story of Owen Cooper’s character, 13-year-old Jamie Miller, who is arrested on suspicion of murder and the consequences him and his family face.

Speaking about working on the show, Stephen Graham – who plays Jamie’s father – said of its importance: “That’s what it should be. We were brought up on strong television that was saying something, like Boys from the Blackstuff.

James made a plea(Image: PA)

“We don’t have the answers and we’re not saying that we do… but as a society we need to look at these kinds of things. We wanted to put a mirror up to society and just say take a little look and see what’s going on.”

Elsewhere, James and Ruth are teaming up for a brand new project. In anticipation of their upcoming book, When Gavin Met Stacey And Everything In Between: A Story Of Love And Friendship, the pair are set to reunite again at the Hay Festival, where they will chat about the show’s success and Christmas special.

“Gavin & Stacey really does belong to the audience and we are beyond thrilled that so many people enjoyed watching it this Christmas,” they shared. Transworld Publishers, a division of Penguin Random House, previously hinted that the book will “recount the rejection, obstacles and challenges they faced on the way to giving birth to their beloved comedy creation”, and “James and Ruth also explore the flourishing of their own real-life friendship”.