With two comedians at the helm, there was bound to be some cheeky humour at the 2023 British Academy Television Awards, and hosts Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan certainly delivered. Minutes after they took to the stage at the Royal Festival Hall in London the pair were making okes at the expense of their fellow TV stars.
The hosts made a dig over the furore over Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield’s visit to the late Queen Elizabeth II lying in state as they hosted the star-studded bash. Rob and Romesh, who presented the glitzy ceremony screened on BBC One for the first time, described the joke as 'edgy.'
"As we all know this year, there have been one or two issues with the subject of the BBC and balance," Rob said. "It’s not easy for comedians to host an award show on the BBC.
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"We need to be funny. We need to be professional and also offer balanced views. This booking is perfect for balance. ‘I see a room filled with some of the hardest working and most talented people in TV all driven by a passion and a love for their craft."
But Romesh jokingly added: "Whereas I see a roomful of shark-eyed narcissists." The pair then said in unison: "Balance.." Gesturing to Imelda Staunton, nominated for Best Actress for her role as the late Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown, Rob joked: "She’s nominated for her performance in The Crown. Apparently, Holly and Phil got to watch that a couple of days before everybody else. A little bit of edge for you, early doors."
Viewers couldn't quite believe what they had just heard. @OliReading tweeted: "#BAFTA having a go at Phil and Holly." @Robtheenby said: "Loving the jab at Phil and Holly!" And @fandomsnfailure commented: "Phil and Holly are never gonna live that down."
Holly and her This Morning and Dancing On Ice co-host Phillip Schofield received backlash over their visit to Westminster Hall in September. People took to Twitter to accuse the This Morning presenters of 'jumping the queue' to see the late Queen lying in state
Hundreds of thousands of people had queued for up to 14 hours to pay their final respects to the nation's longest-reigning sovereign following her death on September 8, aged 96, at Balmoral. This Morning hit back at the claims saying they were there to report on the event.
In a statement on the programme’s Instagram account, a message read: "Hello everyone, we would like to clarify something. We asked Phillip and Holly to be part of a film for this Tuesday’s programme.
"They did not jump the queue, have VIP access or file past the Queen lying in state – but instead were there in a professional capacity as part of the world’s media to report on the event."
As the duo returned to This Morning following the Queen's funeral, Holly addressed the outrage in a video documenting the events of the last couple of weeks right up until the late monarch's funeral. Holly could be heard saying in a voiceover as footage showed them outside Westminster Hall: "Like hundreds of accredited broadcasters and journalists, we were given official permission to access the hall.
It was strictly for the purpose of reporting on the event for millions of people in the UK who haven't been able to visit Westminster in person." She continued: "The rules were that we would be quickly escorted around the edges to a platform at the back. In contrast, those paying respects walked along a carpeted area beside the coffin and were given time to pause."
She continued: "None of the broadcasters and journalists there took anyone's place in the queue and no one filed passed the Queen. We, of course, respected those rules, however, we realise that it may have looked like something else and therefore totally understand the reaction."
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