Viewers have been left divided over host Alan Cumming’s presenting skills and fashion choices at the Bafta TV Awards ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall in London on Sunday (11 May).
The ceremony celebrates the best in British television, and this year’s big winners included Mr Loverman’s Lennie James, Industry’s Marisa Abela, Gavin & Stacey’s Ruth Jones, and Mr Bigstuff’s Danny Dyer.
Traitors US presenter Cumming, 60, is an award-winning actor himself, having secured a Bafta Scotland award (Outstanding Contribution to Film and TV), two Emmys (for The Traitors), two Tonys (for Cabaret in 1998 and A Strange Loop in 2022), and an Olivier award (for Accidental Death of an Anarchist in 1991).
However, his awards hosting appears to have left some viewers slightly irritated.
The actor and presenter opened the ceremony with a number of sexual innuendos, including: “I’m popping my Bafta cherry with you all tonight. So, be gentle Britain.”
Donning a shiny blue suit with significantly flared trousers, he then read from a children’s storybook riffing at the common mistakes made by actors when accepting awards, including bringing too many people on stage and taking too long with their acceptance speeches.
While this part of his monologue seemed to go down very well with the stars in the room, some viewers at home weren’t so sure about his general hosting approach.
“This host is ridiculously bad,” wrote one person on X/Twitter as Cumming opened the event.
“Of all the brilliantly funny hosts in a very large talent pool, you choose Alan Cumming? Why?” wrote another.
One viewer added: “Alan Cumming making it increasingly difficult to carry on watching this.”
Others noticed that the host made several nods to his presenting duties. “Will there be a reference to Traitors by Alan Cumming before every award?” asked one exasperated viewer.
But others were less offended by the hosting and more distracted by the star’s statement trousers and “terrible” suit (they might have been relieved when Cumming went on to have several outfit changes throughout the show).
“WTF is Alan Cumming wearing? He looks like a mash up between Del Boy and Elton John,” hit out one Bafta viewer while another compared the trousers to “Billy Connolly’s incontinence phishing trousers”.
Another joked: “I see that Alan Cumming is hosting the TV awards tonight. I'm assuming he is wearing that sparkly blue suit for a reason. It must be to prepare himself in the role of Nightcrawler for Avengers: Doomsday.”
But not everyone was disappointed.
“Can I just say I loved Alan Cumming's story book moment at the start of the Bafta awards,” said social media user.
Others said the actor’s hosting had led to one of the most memorable ceremonies ever.
“So far, this has been one of the best Baftas. Alan Cumming is brilliant, doesn’t drone on for too long and is genuinely entertaining. Great speeches too. They’ve got it spot on.”
Another agreed, writing: “This is the best #Baftas show I’ve ever seen - largely due to Alan Cumming. Still, it’s been funny, emotional, and a pleasant change from normal awards shows.”
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