David Tennant divides Bafta viewers with dry opening monologue

David Tennant divided viewers with his opening monologue at the Baftas.

As Jo Koy’s disastrous turn at the Golden Globes proved last month, successfully hosting an awards show is no easy feat, but Tennant has managed to win over at least some viewers.

The 77th British academy film awards took place on Sunday evening (18 February) at Royal Festival Hall in London, with Hollywood stars including Margot Robbie, Claire Foy, and Ryan Gosling in attendance.

You can find a full list of winners from the 2024 Baftas here…

Following on from Richard E Grant in 2023, Tennant, 52, took on hosting duties for this year’s ceremony.

The Doctor Who star charmed his way through the two-hour ceremony, with an opening monologue that was full of gags.

It didn’t take long for Tennant to make a reference to Greta Gerwig’s 2023 blockbuster Barbie, which was up for five nominations on the night. The actor cracked a joke about the plastic doll’s hairless torso.

“Tonight is going to go smoother than Ken’s chest,” quipped Tennant in a hopeful indication of the evening to follow.

Elsewhere the subject matter became political when Tenannt appeared to made a joke connecting Yorgos Lanthimos’s 11-times nominated film Poor Things to former US president and current presendtial candidate Donald Trump.

“Poor Things is nominated,” said Tennant. “When a child’s brain is put in an adult’s body and later this year one of those might be elected president.”

The surreal film, which stars Emma Stone opposite Mark Ruffalo and William DaFoe, sees DaFoe’s mad scientist character implant a child’s brain into an adult woman’s body (played by Stone).

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