Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Killing Eve star Jodie Comer were among the big British winners at this year’s Emmy Awards.
The ceremony, which recognises excellence in television, took place in Los Angeles on Sunday.
Comer won best leading drama actress for playing Villanelle in Killing Eve.
Fleabag star and writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge took home the prize for best leading comedy actress, best comedy series and best comedy writing.
Originally made for BBC Three, it is the first British-made show to be named best comedy series. “It’s so wonderful and reassuring to know that a dirty, pervy, angry and messed-up woman can make it to the Emmys,” Waller-Bridge laughed, referring to the show’s lead character.
Waller-Bridge also joked that the possibility of winning awards was the reason she wrote the series in the first place.
“I find writing really hard and really painful, but I’d like to say from the bottom of my heart that the reason that I do it is this,” she said, holding up the Emmy statuette. “So it’s made it all really worth it guys, thank you so much.”
Game of Thrones won the night’s most prestigious prize – best drama – despite the eighth and final series receiving a mixed response from fans and critics.
One of the HBO fantasy’s stars, Peter Dinklage, also took home the prize for best supporting drama actor.
Waller-Bridge’s win for leading comedy actress was a particular surprise, given that she was nominated against Emmy favourite Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
The US actress has previously won in this category six times for her role in Veep, and was widely expected to win again for the show’s seventh and final series.
Comer’s win for her performance as the ruthless assassin Villanelle in BBC America’s Killing Eve tops off an extraordinary year for the actress, who also won a TV Bafta in May for the same role.
“I was not expecting to get up on this stage tonight,” Comer said as she picked up her prize. “I cannot believe I’m in a category alongside these women, one of them who is my co-star Sandra Oh.
“Safe to say Sandra that this Killing Eve journey has been an absolute whirlwind and I feel so lucky to have shared the whole experience with you.”
As Waller-Bridge took to the stage near the end of the ceremony to accept Fleabag’s fourth award of the night, for best comedy series, she commented: “This is getting ridiculous!
“Fleabag started as a one-woman show at the Edinburgh festival in 2014, and the journey has been absolutely mental to get here.”
