Viewers have slammed this year’s Bafta awards show as one of the wokest ceremonies yet.
During the ceremony hosted by Aussie actor Rebel Wilson, there was a dig about the trans row and JK Rowling while Power of the Dog star Benedict Cumberbatch told interviewers he would welcome a Ukrainian refugee into his home.
The politically charged show returned after a two-year delay with Wilson giving Vladmir Putin the middle finger, while many of the stars wore black and Ukraine ribbons in a mark of solidarity.
Rebel made reference to Russia’s invasion during the ceremony and was applauded by the star-studded audience when she made a rude hand gesture to Putin to the camera as she introduced a performance with sign language interpreters.
The actress said: ‘In this performance there are two different interpreters one is signing America Sign Language and one is signing British Sign Language.
‘Luckily though, in all sign languages this is the gesture for Putin,’ before putting her middle finger up for the camera.’
Viewers have slammed this year’s Bafta awards ceremony as one of the wokest ceremonies yet as host Rebel Wilson (pictured above) made jokes about JK Rowling and the gender pay gap
Prior to the event, BAFTA bosses reportedly advised attendees to ‘dress respectably’ amid fears attention-grabbing dresses and suits would appear distasteful in light of the Ukraine conflict,’ a source said (Benedict pictured wearing a Ukraine pin with his wife Sophie)
Wilson, who was hosting the awards for the second time, told the star-packed audience that she is ‘looking different’ and that she has had a ‘transformation’, joking: ‘I hope JK Rowling still approves.’
The comment was an apparent dig at JK Rowling’s views on gender ideology and the trans row. The author regularly speaks out against critics who label her transphobic for arguing that only women born with female reproductive organs are women.
Later in the ceremony, Harry Potter star Emma Watson also appeared to take a swipe at the author.
Rebel Wilson introduced Watson to the stage, saying: ‘Here to present the next award is Emma Watson. She calls herself a feminist, but we all know she’s a witch.’
Speaking from the podium, Watson, who has distanced herself from JK Rowling and said trans women are women in the past, then emphasized: ‘I’m here for all the witches!’
During the ceremony, there were also jokes about the gender pay gap, a female James Bond and gender fluidity.
Rebel joked that after much speculation on who would get the job, she could exclusively reveal that she was the new 007.
She then said: ‘Bond goes to Australia and it can be called Die Another G’Day,’ adding that ‘because of the gender pay gap,’ she’d be 004.5 rather than 007.
The show returned after a two-year delay with host Rebel Wilson giving Putin the middle finger, while many of the stars wore black and Ukraine ribbons in a mark of solidarity
Meanwhile, British actor Benedict Cumberbatch said on Sunday he hoped to take part in a government scheme to offer Ukrainian refugees somewhere to live.
The new ‘Homes for Ukraine’ scheme will allow members of the public, charities, businesses and community groups to offer accommodation to refugees to come to Britain even if they do not have family ties.
‘It is a really shocking time to be a European two and a half hours flight away from Ukraine, and it’s something that hangs over us,’ Cumberbatch told Sky News on the red carpet of the British Academy Film Awards at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
Cumberbatch, known for his roles in ‘Sherlock’, ‘The Imitation Game’ and ‘Doctor Strange’, was wearing a round badge with the blue and yellow of the Ukrainian flag on the lapel of his jacket.
‘We all need…to do more than wear a badge. We need to donate, we need to pressure our politicians to continue to create some kind of a refugee safety and a haven here for people who are suffering,’ he said.
‘Everyone needs to do as much as they can … there’s been a record number of people volunteering to take people into their homes, I hope to be part of that myself.’
Bond girl: The actress portrayed MI6 agent Nomi in James Bond’s No Time to Die
After vows from organizers to improve diversity among the stars being nominated, the ceremony saw the likes of Bond star Lashana take to the stage, hailing her working class background after winning the Rising Star award.
The actress, 34, portrayed MI6 agent Nomi in James Bond’s No Time to Die and the ceremony also featured jokes about a female James Bond taking over the franchise.
Viewers were quick to critique the ‘woke’ virtuals on display at this year’s ceremony with many slamming it as over the top.
One social media user wrote: ‘I wish I’d watched Crufts tonight: the #Baftas, even by their usual standards, have been painfully slow, dull & woke this year.
‘No wonder Emma Watson’s looked euphoric throughout.’
Another added: ‘Does anyone still watch the vomit inducing, woke luvvie w**kfest that is the Baftas?
‘I’d rather stick hot pints in my eyes.’
Other users accused the celebrities of virtue signaling and criticized the ceremony for preaching to viewers.
It comes as the showbiz world united to make a statement against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for the ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday.
Supermodel Naomi Campbell led the celebrities on the red carpet wearing black, while nominee Benedict Cumberbatch and former Made In Chelsea star Millie Mackintosh wore Ukrainian flag pins as a mark of solidarity.
BAFTAs 2022: THE WINNERS
Best Movie
The Power of the Dog – WINNER
Belfast
Don’t Look Up
Dunes
Licorice Pizza
Outstanding British Film
Belfast – WINNER
After Love
Ali & Ava
Boiling Point
Cyrano
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
House of Gucci
Last Night in Soho
No Time To Die
passing
Leading Actress
Joanna Scanlan, After Love – WINNER
Lady Gaga, House of Gucci
Alana Haim, Licorice Pizza
Emilia Jones, CODA
Renata Reinsve, The Worst Person in the World
Tessa ThompsonPassing
Leading Actor
Will Smith, King Richard – WINNER
Adeel Akhtar, Ali & Ava
Mahershala Ali, Swansong
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog
Leonardo DiCaprio, Don’t Look Up
Stephen Graham, Boiling Point
Supporting Actress
Victory: Ariana DeBose was awarded the gong for Best Supporting Actress
Ariana DeBose, West Side Story – WINNER
Caitriona Balfe, Belfast
Jessie Buckley, The Lost Daughter
Ruth Negga, Passing
Aunjanue Ellis, King Richard
Ann Dowd, Mass.
Supporting Actor
Congrats: Troy Kotsur got Supporting Actor for his role in Coda
Troy Kotsur, CODA-WINNER
Mike Faist, West Side Story
Ciaran Hinds, Belfast
Woody Norman, C’mon C’mon
Jesse Plemons, The Power of the Dog
Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog
Director
Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog – WINNER
Aleem Khan, After Love
Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Drive My Car
Audrey Diwan, Happening
Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza
Julia Ducournau, Titanium
Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer
The Harder They Fall – WINNER
After Love
Boiling Point
Keyboard Fantasies
passing
Adapted Screenplay
CODA-WINNER
Drive My Car
Dunes
The Lost Daughter
The Power of the Dog
Original Screenplay
Licorice Pizza – WINNER
Being the Ricardos
Belfast
Don’t Look Up
King Richard
EE Rising Star Award
EE Rising Star Award: Bond star Lashana Lynch won
Lashana Lynch-WINNER
Harris Dickinson
Millicent Simmonds
Kodi Smit McPhee
Ariana DeBose
Cinematography
Dune- WINNER
Nightmare Alley
No Time To Die
The Power of the Dog
The Tragedy of Macbeth
Animated Film
Encanto – WINNER
Flee
Luke
The Mitchells vs The Machines
Documentary
Summer of Soul (Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)- WINNER
Becoming Cousteau
cow
Flee
The Rescue
Film Not in the English Language
Drive My Car – WINNER
The Hand of God
Parallel Mothers
Little mom
The Worst Person in the World
Suit Designer
Costume Design: Cruella won the gong
Cruella- WINNER
Cyrano
Dunes
The French Dispatch
Nightmare Alley
make-up & hair
The Eyes of Tammy Faye – WINNER
cruella
Cyrano
Dunes
House of Gucci
Original Score
Dune – WINNER
Being The Ricardos
Don’t Look Up
The French Dispatch
The Power of the Dog
editing
No Time To Die – WINNER
Belfast
Dunes
Licorice Pizza
Summer of Soul (Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
Production Design
Dune – WINNER
Cyrano
The French Dispatch
Nightmare Alley
West Side Story
Sound
Dune – WINNER
Last Night in Soho
No Time to Die
A Quiet Place Part II
West Side Story
Special Visual Effects
Dune- WINNER
British Short Animation
Cast
Boiling Point
The Hand of God
King Richard
West Side Story
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