Bill Nighy's Agony Uncle Era Pays Off as He Takes Top Host Honour at British Podcast Awards

Bill Nighy has added another string to his bow, with the veteran actor collecting the prize for best host at the British Podcast Awards for his advice-driven show Ill-Advised.

The 76-year-old, whose screen credits span Love Actually, Living and the Underworld franchise, was recognised at the 10th annual ceremony on Thursday, according to the awards announcement. He saw off a competitive field that included documentary-maker Louis Theroux, comedian Katherine Ryan and singer-turned-presenter Lily Allen.

The win caps a striking late-career pivot for an actor best known for his laconic, well-dressed screen presence. Rather than trading on his filmography, Nighy has built a following by offering wry counsel to listeners and holding forth on subjects close to his heart — among them life, music and books.

Award organisers described Ill-Advised as an "irresistibly endearing series", a phrase that captures the tone the programme trades in. The show is pitched at people who, in its own words, do not get out much and cannot handle it when they do — a description that has clearly resonated with a listenership drawn to its low-key, self-deprecating humour.

The best host category is among the most closely watched of the night, given the calibre of names regularly shortlisted. Topping a field featuring Theroux, Ryan and Allen suggests Nighy's appeal extends well beyond cinema audiences and into the crowded, highly competitive world of on-demand audio.

The evening's biggest prize, however, went elsewhere. Hold or Fold, produced by the Prison Radio Association, was named podcast of the year and also took the award for best factual podcast — a notable double for a series examining problem gambling.

The recognition for a prison-produced programme underlines how far the podcast medium has spread since the awards began a decade ago, with entries now arriving from charities, broadcasters, independent studios and major publishers alike.

Pete Wicks also enjoyed a strong night, with his series Man Made collecting two trophies: best interview podcast and best health & wellbeing podcast. The show sets out to "unpack modern masculinity", a subject that has become an increasingly prominent strand of popular discussion in recent years.

Another double winner was Get Birding, the birdwatching series associated with actor Sean Bean, which was named best lifestyle podcast and also claimed the prize for best video innovation — a reminder that the format now frequently stretches beyond audio alone.

Fans had their say too, voting Hard Launch with Dan & Phil — fronted by the YouTube veterans — as the winner of the Listeners' Choice award, a category that reflects the direct relationship many podcasters now enjoy with their audiences.

Elsewhere, Alan Carr and Lee Peart were recognised for their comedy and wine series Bottoms Up!, which won best food & drink podcast. Peter Crouch's football show, That Peter Crouch Podcast, took the sport category.

In the arts and culture field, Legend: The Bruce Springsteen Story, made by BBC Audio Wales and West of England, came out on top. The Economist's The Intelligence was named best daily podcast, while The Guardian's The Birth Keepers won best documentary podcast.

BBC productions featured prominently across the list. The House at Number 48 won best history podcast, SEND in the Spotlight took best impact podcast, and the BBC World Service was named best network or publisher. Do I Detect A Problem? was chosen as best new podcast, and Georgie Styles received the rising star award.

Other categories reflected the breadth of subject matter now covered by the medium, from Talking Rubbish in education and Project Bläckfisk in fiction to Coining It in true crime and Atonement: The John Paulk Story in sex and relationships. The Dementia Perspective collected a specialist award, while Hanes Mawr Cymru was named best Welsh language podcast.

The spread of winners — from a prison radio project to an independently produced birdwatching show, and from a global news briefing to a Welsh-language history series — illustrates how the podcast landscape has fragmented and diversified over the past decade.

For Nighy, the honour arrives at a moment when established screen actors are increasingly turning to audio as a space for more intimate, unhurried work. His success suggests audiences are receptive to that shift when the voice behind the microphone has something distinctive to say.

The British Podcast Awards marked their 10th edition with the ceremony on Thursday, a milestone that comes as the format continues to expand in reach and ambition. Whether measured by the breadth of categories or the variety of organisations now producing shows, the medium bears little resemblance to the niche pursuit it was when the awards began.