Outlander star Sam Heughan can add another accomplishment to his resume after the actor managed to take home the Radio Times TV Champion of Champions award. Heughan, who plays Jamie Fraser in the hit show, managed to garner over 16 million fan votes to beat out Ricky Gervais in the final round of the competition.
After the announcement, Heughan took to Twitter to thank his many fans for their vote and support.
“Surely winner of the @Radio Times #TVCHAMPION should get a cover, to pay back all the fans (that have now lost the use of their fingers)?”
Heughan managed to overcome some fairly stiff competition on his road to victory, which included the likes of Aidan Turner ( Poldark ), Peter Capaldi ( Doctor Who ), Lana Parrilla ( Once Upon a Time ), Eliza Taylor-Cotter ( The 100 ), and, of course, Gervais.
Speaking of Gervais, Heughan recently admitted that he’d like to see the Office alum make an appearance in Outlander . True to his comedic nature, Gervais responded by asking Heughan a few questions on Twitter .
“1. What are the hours? 2. Will you make me wear a tartan skirt?” he wrote.
Meanwhile, following his win, Heughan told Radio Times that his winnings were due to his loyal fanbase.
“An incredible war has just been fought! Battling some huge Science Fiction icons, and our fans did it!” he stated. “I’m honored to be awarded the Radio Times Sci-Fi Champion. Outlander fans have proven they are the most passionate, supportive and dedicated. I gratefully accept it on behalf of them.”
At the same time, Heughan and the rest of the cast of Outlander are currently working on the production for Season 2. With the primary filming taking place in Scotland, Heughan took some time away to talk about his support for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research charity.
“My family have been affected by cancer – lots of relatives of mine have suffered,” Heughan told Scotland Now . “Having started doing work with the charity, it’s amazing the number of lives that it has touched.”
Heughan went on to state that he was grateful how his role in Outlander has provided him with opportunities to help out different charities.
“I started a project called My Peak Challenge earlier this year, where people raised money for the charity by challenging themselves to do particular tasks,” he stated. “We raised more than £100,000 so we’re just about to launch details of the next one… If being Jamie in Outlander gives me the chance to help like this, I’m really happy.”
Season 2 of Outlander is expected to premiere sometime in 2016.
[Image Courtesy: Starz]