Complaints flooded social media moments after the ceremony aired on BBC One.
Greg Davies hosted the BAFTA TV Awards (Picture: Getty Photographs for BAFTA)
BBC viewers rushed to complain simply minutes into the BAFTA TV Awards. A number of the greatest names on TV descended onto the pink carpet because the 2026 ceremony aired on Sunday (Could 10) evening. This 12 months’s ceremony was hosted by actor and comic Greg Davies, who opened the awards with a prolonged monologue. Whereas this can be a longstanding custom for BAFTA presenters, many viewers had been unimpressed and took to social media to voice their complaints.
One fumed: “@BAFTA Jesus simply get on with it, do not want quarter-hour of comedy and chatter, viewers turning off of their 1000’s on account of boredom #baftas.” One other posted: “Greg Davies is not any Ricky Gervais on the subject of internet hosting. Boring scripted lengthy winded opening speech. #baftas.”
We use your sign-up to offer content material in methods you’ve got consented to and to enhance our understanding of you. This will embody adverts from us and third events primarily based on our understanding. You’ll be able to unsubscribe at any time. Learn our Privateness Coverage
A 3rd echoed: “Is he going to waffle all evening or we’re going to get some awards carried out? #BAFTAS.”
One other viewer begged the presenter to “get on with it”, whereas another person described the speech as “waffle”.
A further fan wrote: “If this opening monologue would not finish quickly there will not be time for any awards.#BAFTAS.”
Others welcomed Davies’ presence with open arms, with one writing: “Actually having Greg Davies presenting it wonderful!!!!”
“I really like Greg Davies,” one other penned.
Throughout his speech, Davies identified that he’s as soon as once more “not personally nominated” for an award this 12 months, nevertheless, fellow comic Romesh Ranganathan is nominated twice in a class he’s eligible for.
The Inbetweeners star joked: “Will I be punching the air if he loses? We’ll see. However this isn’t in regards to the private grievances that gnaw away at my soul.”
Davies, 57, stepped in for Alan Cumming, who introduced the BAFTA TV Awards in 2025 and the BAFTA Movie Awards earlier this 12 months.
Many felt the comic’s opening speech was too lengthy (Picture: BBC)
He has now vowed by no means to host the awards once more, following the controversial second on the February ceremony through which an offensive racial slur was shouted from the viewers.
The slur was shouted by John Davidson, who lives with extreme Tourette’s syndrome, when Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo had been on stage presenting the award for Greatest Visible Results.
Davidson later mentioned he was “deeply mortified” by the incident, which sparked intense backlash after the BBC didn’t censor the slur throughout the broadcast regardless of it airing on a two-hour delay.
Reflecting on the evening, Cumming mentioned: “It was unhealthy, unhealthy, unhealthy, unhealthy management. Dangerous individuals who weren’t doing their jobs correctly, who actually had not ready and let folks down.”
He added: “Proper earlier than it began, I mentioned to my agent: ‘Remind me, I by no means wish to do that once more’.”
Leave a Reply