In this week’s episode of The Screen Podcast, the team looks back on Sunday’s controversial Bafta ceremony and the subsequent fallout.

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Breaking down the evening are Screen’s contributing editor Wendy Mitchell, editor-in-chief Matt Mueller and awards editor Charles Gant, who were all at the ceremony.

They look at how the events unfolded on the night - when Tourette’s campaigner John Davidson involuntarily shouted a racial slur whilst Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting - and the serious questions that both Bafta and the BBC need to answer after this was broadcast on UK television.

“I have huge respect and admiration for Bafta [but] I do not think they grasped this nettle - or grasped this issue quickly enough and strongly enough. So that’s my big feeling at the moment,” says Gant.

“There’s such a big disconnection in the whole chain of command here,” adds Mueller. “There was a sharp intake of breath in the entire auditorium when that came out… once that did happen, why was Bafta not rushing out to [the BBC broadcast] truck and say, ‘do you know that thing that just happened? Make sure you edit that out of the broadcast tonight, if nothing else’.”

The trio also discusses some of the other highlights and lowlights from the ceremony, including the emotional speeches from Sinners’ Wunmi Mosaku and I Swear casting director Lauren Evans, and the unusual decision for Sam Mendes to speak first when Hamnet won the British film prize.  

Finally and on a lighter note, there is a recap of the post-ceremony party circuit. Which party had the best canapes, and what famous actor was wearing a bathrobe?

The Screen Podcast is produced and edited by Ellie Calnan, with Wendy Mitchell serving as editorial director. New episodes every Thursday.

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