Sunday night’s Baftas ceremony is set to stage a confident return to pre-pandemic levels of glitz and glamour amid fears of flagging audience engagement. The longest red carpet in Europe will wrap itself around a full-capacity Albert Hall ahead of the events, which boasts a new host in Australian comedy actor Rebel Wilson and, for only the second time in two decades, a pre-watershed broadcast on BBC One.
Last year’s ceremony also took place at the Albert Hall but with minimal hooplah, virtual acceptance speeches and no live audience. Although the awards verdicts were lauded, Bafta’s renewed credibility was dinted three weeks later by revelations in the Guardian of multiple allegations of verbal abuse, bullying and sexual misconduct against the film-maker Noel Clarke, who had received the outstanding contribution to British cinema prize. Bafta had known about the allegations beforehand yet continued with the presentation.
Both the outstanding contribution prize and the annual Bafta fellowship have been paused for 2022 as new vetting processes are introduced.
Instead, Bafta appears to be moving in a new direction by targeting a family audience for its film awards, which traditionally has lower viewing figures than the equivalent TV-awards ceremony, which is held before the watershed.
Another indication that producers are targeting a Strictly crowd is that the traditional Cirque du Soleil opener has been replaced by Shirley Bassey singing a James Bond theme, to mark 60 years of the franchise. The 20th anniversary of the Harry Potter franchise is also likely to be celebrated.
Presenters include a number of names – such as RuPaul and Bridgerton’s Regé-Jean Page – far more familiar to a small-screen audience than to cinemagoers. They will be joined by stars such as Emma Watson and Tom Hiddleston, whose big-screen work this year has been minimal but whose appearances in blockbusters may help draw a younger audience. Lady Gaga, nominated this year for her role in House of Gucci, will present the rising star award, which is decided by public vote.
One key absentee is Prince William, who is instead recording a video message. The no-show by Bafta’s president and his wife, Kate Middleton, represents a considerable blow to the event’s international profile. On Thursday, Bafta said the absence was down to “diary constraints” but it has been speculated that the Duke is displeased with the BBC’s recent coverage of the royal family. Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Kensington Palace all condemned Amol Rajan’s The Princes and the Press series, which included claims that courtiers leaked negative stories about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Suggestions that the Duke of Cambridge’s no-show was a recent development were further fuelled by an appearance by Rebel Wilson earlier this week in which she said that she was running potential jokes by a key member of the royals.
Wilson was a hit at the 2020 awards, when she used her presenter spot to poke fun at the all-maleness of the best director shortlist, as well as Tom Hooper’s much-ridiculed film Cats, in which she starred. Her hiring is seen as a bold statement by Bafta, following a badly received two-year stint by Joanna Lumley that came after years in which the ceremony was emceed by either Stephen Fry or Graham Norton.
Wilson, 42, has also suggested she will try and include the “filthiest, cheekiest jokes” possible, “because you’ve got to push the limits”. How this will work given the show’s new primetime slot remains to be seen; the biggest laugh she received in 2020 was for a comparison of the “gifting wallet” received by all attendees with her own vagina.
Bafta’s fresh direction is in contrast to the continued uncertainty surrounding the Oscars, which take place a fortnight later. The 94th Academy Awards will return to the Dolby cinema after a socially distanced ceremony in Los Angeles’ Union Station last year, for which viewing figures dropped by more than 50%.
Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes have signed on to oversee proceedings, after three years without a host. The Academy’s decision not to present eight craft awards – including best editing and best score – as part of the main telecast has been criticised by numerous film-makers.
There has also been some confusion over Covid protocols, with differing requirements for attendees, presenters and performers, presumably to accommodate those stars who are rumoured to be anti-vaxxers. While people in the stalls will need proof of jabs, those on stage are required only to provide a recent negative test.
Bafta’s rules are more relaxed but apply to everyone, regardless of status: a negative PCR or lateral flow test within the past 24 hours.
