BAFTA Responds to Prankster’s Stage Crash at Film Awards
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has taken a strong stance after a man crashed the final category at the film awards on Sunday night. The man, an alleged social media prankster, joined the stage alongside director Christopher Nolan, producers Emma Thomas and Charles Roven, and star Cillian Murphy after Michael J. Fox announced the winner for Best Film.
In response to the incident, a BAFTA spokesperson told Variety, “A social media prankster was removed by security last night after joining the winners of the final award on stage — we are taking this very seriously, and don’t wish to grant him any publicity by commenting further.”
The “Oppenheimer” team, including Nolan, Thomas, Roven, and Murphy, were seated together on the right side of the stage. They walked collectively up to the podium to collect their golden BAFTA mask award. However, the prankster, dressed in a black suit, appeared from the opposite side of the audience and ran up the stairs to join them. BAFTA host David Tennant and Fox were also present on stage at the time.
Surprisingly, few in the audience or those watching at home realized that the interloper was not part of the team. He stood silently between Murphy and Roven as Thomas delivered her acceptance speech. The confusion was likely heightened because Thomas had just accepted the award from Fox and was urging the rest of the “Oppenheimer” cast, including Emily Blunt and Robert Downey Jr., to join them on stage. Thomas exclaimed, “Where are you? Come on, all of you!” precisely as the prankster emerged.
Despite Thomas’ call, the rest of the team remained in the audience while she continued with her acceptance speech. As she finished, the auditorium erupted in applause. It was during this moment that the man, seemingly blending in, tucked something under his arm and began clapping before walking off stage with Thomas, Nolan, Roven, and Murphy.
According to BAFTA, it was at this point that the security apprehended the prankster. It is believed that he has crashed other awards ceremonies in the UK and abroad, documenting his exploits on social media.
Meanwhile, “Oppenheimer” emerged as the big winner of the night, taking home a total of seven awards, including Best Director for Nolan and Leading Actor for Murphy. The film will also be competing at the upcoming Oscars.
The BAFTA Awards, which aired in the UK on the BBC and iPlayer with a two-hour delay, garnered an average audience of 3 million viewers, peaking at 3.8 million. Despite the unexpected stage crash, the ceremony remained a memorable event celebrating the best of British and international cinema.
