BAFTA Film Awards host David Tennant was in a boisterous mood for his opening monologue, which included well-received gags at the expense of Donald Trump.
Entering the stage to a rendition of The Proclaimers song I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles), Tennant sang that he had “walked 500 miles just to host one BAFTAs more” after presiding over last year’s event.
He handed the mic to audience members including Camila Cabello, James McAvoy, and Anna Kendrick who belted out the song’s familiar riff.
The Doctor Who star poked fun at Trump during his remarks, earning loud applause from an audience packed with Hollywood stars.
Tennant said it was unlikely that Trump had seen The Apprentice film because “it’s a 15 [the film’s UK rating] and it’s not on Nickelodeon.” He continued: “Donald Trump. I’m worried. I’ve said his name three times. It’s like Beetlejuice – I have summoned him.”
He followed this by saying, “Talking of villains…” pausing to soak up the audience’s glee. “We’ve got many this year, not just Nosferatu.”
The actor joked that BAFTA audience members would not get a comfort break like cinemagoers enjoying The Brutalist intermission. He also pleaded: “Keep speeches the opposite of your films: nice and short.”
Turning to other nominees, he called A Complete Unknown “Mamma Mia for middle-aged dads,” and said he thought the Dune sequel was called “July.”
The 2025 BAFTA Film Awards are taking place at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London. Tennant is hosting for the second consecutive year. The rolling list of winners is here.
In his opening monologue last year, he made a prophetic joke about Donald Trump through the prism of Poor Things, the Yorgos Lanthimos-directed film starring Emma Stone. “Poor Things, where a child’s brain is put in an adult’s body,” Tennant said. “And later this year, one of those may be reelected president.”
The Scottish actor recently admitted that he may have “p****d off” Cate Blanchett last year with a gag about how women would have to “scramble and climb over Cate Blanchett to get your hands on an award — it’s a metaphor for the acting industry generally.”