Yahoo News ‘Doctor Who’ Star Phil Davis Resigns From BAFTA Over Awards Show, Calling It ‘An Embarrassing Travesty’
Actor Phil Davis has dramatically resigned his BAFTA membership following last Sunday’s awards ceremony, calling the show an “embarrassing travesty.”
Davis, who has appeared in film and TV projects including “Doctor Who,” “Vera Drake” and “Alien 3,” cited host Richard E. Grant’s introduction — during which he pretended to arrive in a Batmobile before appearing in a floor-length white cape — as well as cuts made to winners’ speeches during the broadcast on BBC One and the omission of fellow “Doctor Who” actor Bernard Cribbins in the In Memorium segment.
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“The BAFTA awards were an embarrassing travesty,” Davis tweeted on Wednesday. “Cutting deserving winners speeches for toe curling non interviews. Poor Richard E Grant pretending to arrive in a Batmobile and no Bernard Cribbens in memorium. I resigned my membership. [sic]”
The BAFTA awards were an embarrassing travesty. Cutting deserving winners speeches for toe curling non interviews. Poor Richard E Grant pretending to arrive in a Batmobile and no Bernard Cribbens in memorium. I resigned my membership
— Phil Davis (@PhilDavis6) February 22, 2023
A number of viewers expressed their disappointment that Cribbins was not included in the In Memoriam segment including Sally Thomsett, who starred alongside the actor in “The Railway Children. “I’m absolutely appalled that the fabulous Bernard Cribbins was not mentioned in stars that we’ve lost within the last year, they should be disgusted with themselves, words fail me,” she posted on Twitter.
BAFTA have since confirmed Cribbins, who died last July, will be remembered in the television awards broadcast, which will take place on May 14.
There was also disquiet that triathlete turned screenwriter/producer Lesley Paterson, who picked up a BAFTA on Sunday night for “All Quiet on the Western Front,” had her acceptance speech cut from the broadcast. “It’s definitely frustrating,” Paterson said of the slight on BBC Breakfast the following morning. “Because it really does take a village to make a film and all of the team should be recognized.”
Despite the controversies (including a showstopping number from Ariana DeBose which divided audiences) the BAFTA Awards broadcast was a ratings hit, scoring a 2.6 million average with a peak of 3.8 million, up by 16.2% from last year.
Representatives for BAFTA declined to comment on Davis’s resignation.
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