David Tennant’s opening monologue at the BAFTA Awards became the subject of attention after certain jokes were left out of the BBC’s broadcast. The comedian-host’s live performance featured several quips about former U.S. president Donald Trump that the network later chose to omit from its edited two-hour version of the show.
During his live set at London’s Royal Festival Hall, Tennant joked that it was unlikely Trump had seen “The Apprentice” because the film’s UK rating of 15 made it unsuitable for Nickelodeon. He followed with a remark comparing the repeated mention of Trump’s name to summoning a character from a well-known cult classic. These lines, along with other Trump-related material, were absent from the televised edit, though his comment linking Trump’s hair to the architecture in “The Brutalist” remained.
Tennant opened the evening with an energetic entrance, performing The Proclaimers’ “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” as he joked about having “walked 500 miles just to host one BAFTAs more.” His set included playful references to films such as “The Substance” and “A Complete Unknown,” and even a few jokes about “Conclave” were removed from the final cut.
The decision to cut some material is not unusual given that the BAFTA show is recorded and edited before it airs. Neither the BBC nor BAFTA has provided comments on the removal of the remarks. This incident comes during a ceremony that also celebrated wins by films like “Conclave”—which took home four awards including Best Film and Outstanding British Film—and honored Brady Corbet and Adrien Brody for their work on “The Brutalist.”
