David Tennant returned as the host of the BAFTA Film Awards for a second time on Sunday night and took a jab at U.S. President Donald Trump.
The “Doctor Who” actor, who also emceed last year’s event, kicked off the evening with a rendition of the Proclaimers’ classic “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles),” encouraging the audience — which included James McAvoy, Anna Kendrick, and Colman Domingo — to join in.
During his monologue, Tennant directed his humor at Trump, referring to “The Brutalist” as “a film centered around stunning architecture. In reality, it’s the most daring architecture in cinema this year, outside of Donald Trump’s hair on ‘The Apprentice.’”
He continued, “Donald Trump claims he hasn’t watched ‘The Apprentice’ because it’s rated 15 [referring to the U.K. film classification]. It’s not airing on Nickelodeon. Donald Trump… I’m starting to worry. I’ve mentioned his name three times. It’s just like ‘Beetlejuice’ — I’ve summoned him. And speaking of villains…” Tennant then referenced “Nosferatu” and Hugh Grant in “The Heretic.”
Tennant likened “Conclave” to a James Bond film, stating: “100 schemers plotting to choose between a conservative or progressive candidate, diversity or tradition. It’s akin to selecting the next James Bond.”
The jokes about “Conclave” didn’t end there — Tennant remarked that it “makes perfect sense” for Stanley Tucci to portray a character named Cardinal Bellini, “because if anyone can create an outstanding Bellini…”
Alongside Tennant as host, the 2025 BAFTAs will showcase performances from Take That, who will sing “Greatest Day” from the opening scene of “Anora,” and Jeff Goldblum, who will play the piano during the in memoriam segment.
As the ceremony approached, “Conclave” led with 12 nominations, closely followed by Jacques Audiard’s Spanish-language musical-thriller “Emilia Perez” with 11. Brady Corbet’s American epic “The Brutalist” received nine nominations, while “Anora,” “Dune: Part Two,” and “Wicked” each garnered seven, and “A Complete Unknown” and the low-budget Irish-language biopic “Kneecap” earned six nominations each.
