Almost a week after the Baftas, BBC News has issued a statement defending an uncomfortable red carpet interview with Andrew Scott, which went viral and led to accusations of homophobia.
Last Sunday afternoon, the BBC’s Colin Paterson asked Scott, whose film All of Us Strangers was nominated in multiple categories, for his opinion on fellow Irish actor Barry Keoghan’s naked dance at the end of Saltburn.
Scott appeared uncomfortable, but Paterson continued on the topic, raising the possibility that Keoghan’s penis was prosthetic, asking Scott for his take, and then challenging: “How well do you know him?”
Scott, smiling, waved away the question, then walked off without answering. The brief interview was shared widely on social media, to universal condemnation, with many suggesting that Paterson was implying Scott’s sexuality made him more likely to have seen his peer naked.
The BBC also received a number of complaints about the interview. Even those who suspected gaucherie was more in evidence than sexual prejudice found the tone and content of the questioning uncomfortable and inappropriate.
In their statement, the BBC largely defends the interview, but admits “that specific question” was “misjudged”. It is presumed they are referring to the inquiry as to whether Scott was familiar with his friend’s genitals.
“Our reporter began by asking Andrew Scott about the film he’d appeared in – All of Us Strangers – which was nominated for six Baftas,” reads the statement. “He then moved on to ask about the popularity of Irish actors where Barry Keoghan, star of Saltburn, was mentioned. Saltburn is a film which has had cultural impact, with Barry Keoghan’s scene at the end gaining a lot of attention in particular – something the actor has addressed himself.
“Our question to Andrew Scott was meant to be a light hearted reflection of the discussion around the scene and was not intended to cause offence. Saltburn writer and director, Emerald Fennell, and Sophie Ellis-Bextor, whose song Murder on the Dancefloor was used in the sequence, were also asked about the scene.”
It continues: “We do, however, accept that the specific question asked to Andrew Scott was misjudged. After speaking with Andrew on the carpet, our reporter acknowledged on air that his questioning may have gone too far and that he was sorry if this was the case.”
Paterson, 50, is a veteran showbiz reporter, who has covered the Baftas and the Oscars multiple times. In 2014, he was reporting from the Vanity Fair party red carpet when he shouted out Bono’s name seven times in the manner of Alan Partridge. The tactic was successful and the U2 star agreed to a brief interview.
• This article was amended on 26 February 2024 because an earlier version used inferring, when implying was the intended word.
