EXCLUSIVE: The BBC will be monitoring the BAFTA Film Awards closely for politically-charged speeches after the UK broadcaster sparked a national scandal last year by streaming a Glastonbury Festival act chanting “death to the IDF.”
Deadline hears that the Bob Vylan debacle last summer has been a feature of contingency planning for the BAFTA Film Awards, with BBC executives and external producers at Penny Lane Entertainment keen to avoid screening any similarly controversial moments, should they occur on Sunday.
Unlike the Bob Vylan Worthy Farm set, the BAFTA Film Awards are not broadcast live, meaning the BBC must edit a three-hour show into a two-hour broadcast window. Acceptance speeches are snipped, but the BBC said it attempts to maintain the essence of what is said on stage. Winners are free to express themselves as they wish under BAFTA guidelines.
Sources close to the production are not expecting fireworks on stage at the Royal Festival Hall, but this has not stopped the Glastonbury scandal from being at the forefront of minds. “They can’t have another Glastonbury — that’s the thing they keep talking about,” said a person familiar with preparations.
The BBC’s Gaza-related coverage has been heavily scrutinized, and the BAFTAs will be attended by many sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, not least nominees such as Emma Stone, who has signed a boycott protesting Israel. In the fallout from the Bob Vylan set, the BBC said it regretted streaming the performance and apologized, pledging to pre-record “high-risk” music events.
Bob Vylan performs at Glastonbury Festival in June 2025
Leon Neal/Getty Images
A second source close to the BBC’s thinking added that there will be “nervousness” about anti-Donald Trump rhetoric from winners, although it is understood that this has not been explicitly discussed in planning meetings.
The BBC cut a David Tennant joke about Trump from last year’s BAFTA Film Awards, a decision that would likely garner closer scrutiny if it were repeated this year amid the corporation’s legal battle with the U.S. president. The BBC has faced accusations of neutering negative coverage about Trump, not least cutting a quote from a radio speech describing him as the “most openly corrupt president in American history.”
Deadline hears that swearing is another issue that has come up in BAFTA planning meetings. I Swear, the biopic starring Robert Aramayo as Tourette syndrome campaigner John Davidson, is a strong contender for Outstanding British Film. Davidson, whose tics include swearing, is expected to attend the ceremony, meaning any winner’s speech would be observed closely by producers if it were broadcast before the 9PM watershed.
A close eye may also be kept on issues relating to Jeffrey Epstein and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office. It is not clear if the Prince and Princess of Wales will be in attendance at the awards. Prince William serves as BAFTA’s chair.
A third person close to BAFTA Film Awards planning said it was “business as usual” for the 2026 ceremony. BAFTA does not forbid political messaging, but does ask winners to keep their remarks brief. Speeches are carried on BAFTA’s social media platforms.
A BBC spokesperson said: “As is always the case, the show’s content must be appropriate for the slot and in line with BBC editorial guidelines, as well as Ofcom-compliant. The ceremony itself is far longer than the two-hour broadcast, and while we always aim to keep the core sentiment of acceptance speeches, edits are made due to time constraints.”
An insider added: “We are mindful [of controversy], but this stuff is our bread and butter.”
Timothée Chalamet
Photo by Frazer Harrison/WireImage
The BAFTAs are not usually a forum for controversy, and the 2026 awards season has been light on firebrand speeches. Golden Globes presenters and winners spoke in generalities when it came to politics, with the likes of Timothée Chalamet keeping remarks focused on their craft.
The Berlin Film Festival was, however, more of a lightning rod for political tensions in the film business, with scrutiny on the positions actors are taking on issues like Trump and Gaza. Berlinale 2026 jury president Wim Wenders said filmmakers “have to stay out of politics,” with several participants declining to comment on topical matters during press conferences. The likes of Tilda Swinton and Javier Bardem signed an open letter saying they were “dismayed at the Berlinale’s involvement in censoring artists.” Festival director Tricia Tuttle denied allegations of censorship.
The BAFTA Film Awards get underway at 5PM local time on February 22. The ceremony will broadcast on BBC One at 7PM in the UK and 8PM ET on E! is North America.
