Actor Phil Davis resigns from Bafta membership in protest over ‘embarrassing’ awards ceremony

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Actor Phil Davis said he had given up his Bafta membership after it omitted ‘deserving winners speeches’ from its broadcast.

The actor of Sherlock and Quadrophenia, Phil Davis, has resigned from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) in protest of its "embarrassing" awards ceremony. The actor, who also appeared in Whitechapel, criticised the 2023 Bafta Awards for cutting acceptance speeches from their broadcast.

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Revealing his decision on Twitter, Davis said he had given up his membership of Bafta, citing issues with film and TV star Bernard Cribbins being left out of the traditional in-memoriam tribute for the recently deceased.

He said: “The BAFTA awards were an embarrassing travesty. Cutting deserving winners speeches for toe curling non interviews. Poor Richard E Grant pretending to arrive in a Batmobile and no Bernard Cribbes in memorium. I resigned my membership.”

The Telegraph reported the Batmobile segment was a comedic opening sketch in which ceremony host Grant sought advice from American actor Steve Martin before driving a Batmobile car to the awards ceremony at London’s Royal Festival Hall.

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The awards were dominated by success for the German-language war film All Quiet on the Western Front, but Bafta faced criticism after its broadcast of the ceremony omitted Lesley Peterson’s acceptance speech.

Her speech was not the only omission which triggered outrage. Many have also criticised the award ceremony for failing to include The Railway Children and Dr Who star Bernard Cribbins as part of the in memoriam tribute at this year’s ceremony.

Sally Thomsett, one of his Railway Children co-stars, voiced her anger on Twitter: “...have watched the Bafta’s on TV and I’m absolutely appalled that the fabulous Bernard Cribbins was not mentioned in stars that we’ve lost within the last year, they should be disgusted with themselves. Words fail me.”

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In response, Bafta told The Telegraph: “Bernard Cribbins had a celebrated and hugely influential career in film and TV and is honoured on our website. Bernard will be included in our upcoming Television Awards broadcast.”

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