A BBC reporter’s highly inappropriate BAFTA question for Andrew Scott had everyone cringing
The 2024 BAFTAs ceremony saw the Irish contingent arrive with a string of nominations and bags of style.
When Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal, attending with the cast and creative crew of All Of Us Strangers, stepped up to announce an award, MC David Tennant hit the perfect tone.
the way david tennant introduced paul mescal and andrew scott … he gets it pic.twitter.com/hnx0QLYtYd
— rike ✨the girl olivia colman smacked the other day (@THEFAVOURITE_) February 18, 2024
But social media has been dominated by this shocking moment on the red carpet, when the BBC’s Colin Paterson chose not to ask Andrew Scott about the film he was in, but instead asked about Barry Keogh‘s now notorious nude dance at the end of Saltburn.
It’s a very uncomfortable watch.
This is frankly disgusting. Andrew Scott is there to support his multiple nominated film and THIS is what you ask? Then when he looks visibly uncomfortable the guy carried on. Truly horrid. #BAFTAs pic.twitter.com/42VEoBXRQi
— Alex Gilston GFF 2024 (@PresenterAlex) February 18, 2024
“Do you know Barry well?”
“I know Barry, yeah.”“Okay, your reaction when you first saw the naked dance scene at the end of Saltburn?”
“Okay, well listen, I won’t spoil it for anybody. It’s great. It’s great.”“You can spoil away.”
“I won’t spoil it for anybody.”“There is a lot of talk about prosthetics. How well do you know him? Too much? Too much?”
Yes, it’s too much. Far too much. Would he ask straight actors if they were familiar with their friends’ naked bodies? He certainly didn’t do that at the BAFTAs.
The reactions were quite rightly every bit as outraged as you’d expect.
1.
Jesus tap-dancing Christ. The year is 2024. Speaking as an actor who also happens to be gay, and who also happens to be a person, I can only offer solidarity to Andrew Scott, and to gay actors, and to actors, and to gay people, and to people. https://t.co/Fm2qE1Dxml
— Nicholas Pegg (@NicholasPegg) February 18, 2024
2.
There’s is something so deeply homophobic about asking Andrew Scott a gay man this weird ass question about Barry’s scene in Saltburn?? ask him about all of us strangers the BAFTA nominated film he is in… “how well do you know Barry” Andrew deserves an apology from the BBC pic.twitter.com/HpBliJGyHo
— Amber ☽ (@wxlkover) February 18, 2024
3.
This is actually dreadful. And you can bet that this would not have been asked if Andrew wasn't gay. This is not simply lousy journalism; it is also obvious homophobia. https://t.co/OqbWz8Uo19
— Sethsfilmreviews (@sethsfilmreview) February 19, 2024
4.
The tone deaf question is so wrong, but to not be able to see the discomfort in Andrew’s response and continue the line of questioning is crazy. Imagine @ColinGPaterson being asked what he thought of his friend’s breasts – and are they real? https://t.co/NQ7WcsRUCt
— ΞÐШΛЯÐ (@edwardrussell) February 19, 2024
5.
Yeah awful. Please remember how lucky you are to be presenting on a national broadcaster and don’t ask questions like this next time. Poor Andrew Scott.
Clip @PresenterAlex— Nicky Clark (@MrsNickyClark) February 18, 2024
6.
Andrew Scott is an absolute prince for handling this so well. He could easily have told this wanker to fuck off, and no one would mind.
— Ali Arikan (@aliarikan) February 19, 2024
7.
Weird energy by the interviewer.
Firstly Andrew Scott’s performance is truly astonishing and they should have been talking about this.
— Reuben Boughton (@BigtubSeeker) February 18, 2024
8.
who the f*ck have they dragged off the street to interview andrew scott and why is he my mate’s drunk dad at a party https://t.co/SH7JIljPUy
— Callum Scott Howells (@callumshowells) February 18, 2024
9.
Hey @BBCNews @BBC, you owe the brilliant actor & human Andrew Scott an apology for this inane idiot. There are scores of professional British journalists/presenters. Clearly, Colin Paterson isn’t one of them. Has he not even seen All of Us Strangers? So disrespectful & juvenile. https://t.co/O11YA8Blno
— Lesley O'Toole (@lesleyotoole) February 18, 2024
Andrew Scott has recently spoken about the micro-aggression behind journalists’ choice of language around gay actors.
Only a matter of weeks since Andrew Scott spoke out about this too pic.twitter.com/Rx5Yvwz026 https://t.co/LYxL0H7wTS
— Josh Barton (@bartonreviews) February 18, 2024
Colin Paterson has yet to commented.
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Source Alex Gilston Image Screengrab