It’s that time of year again already, when the stars are out in force to reward the best and brightest film talent at the British Academy Film and Television Awards.
The annual celebration of all things film, comes hot on the heels of the Golden Globes and the SAG Awards and is one of the last glitzy ceremonies to see the Hollywood A-list before the season draws to a close with The Oscars on March 12th.
At this year’s glamorous ceremony, some of the standout stars hoping to take home a coveted win include Brendan Fraser, Emma Thompson, Colin Farrell, and Michelle Yeoh.
It isn’t just the award winners themselves however, that have fans tuning in, as the ceremony itself has often gifted the public with several memorable moments over the years ranging from heartwarming to hilarious.
Ahead of this year’s show, we take a closer look back at some of the most memorable moments at the ceremony to date.
Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Titanic reunion
Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio first met while starring on the James Cameron epic Titanic back in 1997, when the stars struck up a solid friendship while portraying lead characters Jack and Rose.
Capturing the hearts of fans around the world with their emotional performance, it may even surprise fans to know that the pair have remained close friends ever since the film.
In 2016, both Kate and Leo were enjoying a successful year, with both their films Steve Jobs, and Revenant up for a slew of awards in rapid succession.
Yet rather than just being able to celebrate their success from afar, the duo delighted fans as they posed together at numerous photo calls and press conferences during the awards season, with the BAFTAS themselves provided the perfect setting to see the pair reunite and once again capture the hearts of the nation.
Meryl Streep loses her shoe
Whenever you think of a glitzy and glamorous awards show, rarely if ever do we see the ceremonies as relatable moments – after all, with stars dressed in thousand pound gowns and immaculately coiffed, it’s a far cry from the sofa where many of us will be tuning in.
However, in one particular moment back in 2011, Meryl Streep proved she was just like the rest of us in a hilarious yet relatable moment, which saw the Hollywood heavyweight lose her shoe, while making her way up the steps to collect her award for Best Actress.
Rather than let the moment steal her achievement, Meryl candidly laughed it off, as Colin Firth leapt to her aid, and put to good use his decades work of rom-com experience to chivalrously drop down to his knees and help her back into her shoe.
Babe the pig heads to London
Another memorable moment that has cemented itself in the annals of BAFTA history, is the moment Babe the pig, complete with a handler, attended the show in 1996 to celebrate the film of the same name’s four nominations at the star studded awards.
The adorable porcine star undoubtedly stole the show as they were given their very own seat, with both guests and fans alike captivated by the pint sized star.
However, despite winning the public’s support, Babe didn’t win a single award, but has still earned it’s place in the hearts of many a 90’s kid all the same.
Leonardo DiCaprio kisses Dame Maggie Smith
In another Leo inspired memory, the BAFTAs ceremony back in 2016 also gifted us with the treat of the actor planting a kiss on acting legend Dame Maggie Smith, in a moment many fans couldn’t get enough of.
The ceremony that year took place on Valentine’s day, and in an attempt to inject a little romantic fun, the show organisers enlisted the help of a kiss cam – however it didn’t quite go to plan.
Initially, the camera landed on Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander, who had been dating since 2014, but the couple categorically refused to take part in awkward scenes that were later cut by the BBC from the broadcast.
Stanley Tucci and Cuba Gooding Jr, however, were more than happy to take part as the pair shared a sneaky smooch on camera to rapturous applause.
Yet it was by far Leonardo DiCaprio and Maggie Smith’s kiss that earned the biggest cheer of the night, when the kiss cam selected the pair not once, but twice – prompting amused host Stephen Fry to quip: “Well that’s a marriage made in heaven if ever there were one,”
Tinie Tempah high fived Prince William
Although well known for his role as the Prince of Wales, many fans may not also realise that Prince William is also the president of BAFTA and regularly attends the annual awards show to rub shoulders with the best and brightest talent out there.
It was during his attendance at the event in 2014, that the Prince soon dominated headlines after he shared a high-five moment with rap artist Tinie Tempah as he kicked off the show.
Tinie had been duetting with Laura Mvula at the time of the cheeky incident, which saw him break royal protocol and share a high-five with the Prince, who could be seen amused smiling along throughout the incident.
It was only later when quizzed about the stunt, that Tinie admitted he felt “safe” involving the Prince in his performance, as they had previously met and spoken on multiple occasions beforehand.
Stephen Fry’s 'bag lady' joke
Not all memorable moments at the BAFTAs are always happy however, with one controversial moment being at the 2016 ceremony when host Stephen Fry likened costume designer Jenny Beavan to ‘a bag lady’ as she collected her award in a pair of black trousers, a leather jacket and a scarf.
Twitter users were quick to hit out at Stephen as they accused him of being “offensive” and “malicious” while failing to realise that it was actually a bit of an in-joke between friends as he has known Jenny for a number of years.
The public backlash to the comment was so severe, Stephen even too a brief hiatus from social media, but not before setting the record straight and clarifying that Jenny was a “dear friend” dating back to his time on Gosford Park and Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows, and admitting that she “got” the tone of the remark and wasn’t offended by it.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie sport matching outfits
Whenever any awards show rolls around, one of the first things many fans are eager to see, is what outfit the stars will be taking to the red carpet in.
From sparkling dresses to immaculate tailoring, the BAFTA’s rarely disappoint when it comes to the fashion stakes – however one of the most memorable looks of recent years, has to be when Brad Pitt and his then fiancée Angelina Jolie sported matching tuxedos in 2014.
Attending to support eventual Best Film winner 12 Years A Slave, which Brad starred in and helped to produce, the couple were both photographed wearing matching tuxedos in the perfect example of his-and-hers dressing.
Channelling her androgynous style in a chic tux by Saint Laurent, Angelina wore her jacket open and her bowtie undone, while Brad opting for a Valentino tux, but kept his look more traditional and refined.
John Boyega bags the Rising Star Award
2016 was definitely the year for memorable moments, as it was also the year that Star Wars actor John Boyega took home the coveted rising star award in a moment that delighted fans around the world.
Although it had been long expected that John would take home the trophy after his all-out charm offensive while on the Star Wars: Force Awakens press tour, it was his sincere and earnest acceptance speech that soon catapulted him into the limelight.
Thanking God “first and foremost,” John then proceeded to dedicate his award to “all the young dreamers who are determined, who are hard working and who are, quite frankly amazing.”
Actresses stage Times Up Protest
One of the common themes with many awards shows is not to make political statements while on the red carpet – something the majority of actresses attending the BAFTAs in 2018 swiftly turned on it’s head.
Just months after scores of stars had come forward to speak out about sexual harassment in the industry, the actresses banded together in the Time’s Up movement, a non-profit organisation that raises money to support victims of sexual harassment.
The organisation as formed on the back of the viral #MeToo movement and in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal.
In support of the movement, the attending actresses swapped their usual coloured gowns for all black ensembles, with many even bringing an activist as their plus one to the ceremony.
One example of a star doing exactly this, was Gemma Arterton who attended with Ellen Pullen and Gwen Davis, two women who fought for equal pay while working at Ford’s Dagenham plant in the ‘60s.
Prince William presents an honour to 'Granny' Helen Mirren
In another memorable moment featuring Prince William, the Prince of Wales showed a glimpse of his cheeky side as he presented Helen Mirren with her Fellowship award in 2014.
While introducing the veteran star, William dubbed Helen “an extremely talented British actress I should probably call Granny” in a clear nod to her portrayal of his grandmother in the 2006 film The Queen.
Audrey Hepburn receives Bafta's Special Award
Despite winning the Best Actress award three times at the BAFTAs over the years, it was Audrey Hepburn’s 1992 acceptance speech which charmed audiences around the world as she picked the organisations’ Special Award.
Aged 62 at the time, the award aimed to highlight her achievements and prolific career, but rather than accepting praise, Audrey used her time on stage to raw attention to the other staff behind the scenes that had contributed to her ongoing success.
In the emotion speech, she paid tribute to “the greatest directors, the best writers, the most marvellous stars, glorious photography, terrific scores, super clothes and the finest technicians in the business.”
Timothee Chalamet helps James Ivory on stage
Following the release of Call Me By Your Name in 2018, there was certainly no shortage of reasons to love Timothee Chalamet.
However it wasn’t just his stylish looks and formidable acting chops that impressed fans, but also his kind hearted gesture to the film’s screenwriter, James Ivory, who was 89 at the time of the ceremony.
The veteran screenwriter scooped the award for the Best Adapted Screenplay, but appeared to be a little unsteady on his feet as he navigated the stairs to the podium, prompting Timothee to immediately leap to his feet and help him up.
Just a few weeks later, the writer quite literally wore his appreciation for his colleague in a display for all to see, as he sported a shirt emblazoned with the young star’s face while attending the 2018 Oscars ceremony.
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