Richard Cottan (55) joined actor Kenneth Branagh, director Philip Martin and producer Francis Hopkinson to collect their awards at the Royal Festival Hall in London.

His appearance on the screen prompted proud mother Roma Cotton (85), of Bramble Road, Petersfield, to scream out loud and almost fall off her chair.

She said: “He looked miserable and I was screaming at the TV so much I nearly fell on to the floor!”

Richard, who lives in London but writes his screenplays in a remote part of Cornwall, has had a successful career as a writer.

Among his credits are drama Men Only starring Martin Freeman and Marc Warren, BBC Four drama Hancock and Joan featuring Ken Stott and Maxine Peake, and BBC 2 film Margaret – which tells the story of Margaret Thatcher’s early political career.

Mrs Cottan described her son – one of four – as a quiet man who did not like people making a fuss over him.

She said: “But Kenneth Branagh, who is an extremely nice man, said he could not have done the series without Richard and the rest of them.”