Ariana DeBose, the previous year’s winner of the best-supporting actress Oscar, was asked to perform an opening number at the BAFTA ceremony. While her performance was well-received by the in-person audience, it faced criticism on Twitter and social media. DeBose’s performance featured an original rap saluting the awards’ female nominees, and she danced her way into the audience, calling out the female acting nominees by name. DeBose ended her performance with a rendition of “We Are Family” and encouraged the audience to stand up, which was ignored.
While some of the nominees appeared puzzled by her performance, others seemed to enjoy it. The press had mixed reactions, with some calling it an all-time great berserk musical performance. Despite the backlash, BAFTAs producer Nick Bullen supported the decision to have DeBose open the show and criticized the criticism as “incredibly unfair.” DeBose reportedly deactivated her Twitter account shortly after the performance went viral, but an outpouring of support from fans celebrating the performance for its unintentional campiness has emerged.
The BAFTAs were held in London to honor the year’s best movies. DeBose’s performance was intended to celebrate women in film, and the show included a tribute to Queen Elizabeth. The show went live for the first time in BAFTA history, which posed challenges for the production team during the final four categories. Despite the challenges, the show had good audience numbers and received positive feedback from viewers.
The show included a mix-up during the announcement of the winner for best supporting actress, but overall, the show was successful. The production team plans to debrief with the BBC and BAFTA before the next iteration of the awards. The team hopes to address the challenges posed by the live show and incorporate feedback from viewers and attendees.
In conclusion, Ariana DeBose’s performance at the BAFTAs became viral and attracted both positive and negative attention. While the backlash led to the deactivation of her Twitter account, the outpouring of support from fans and the producer’s defense of her performance demonstrate the complexities of live performances. The BAFTAs continue to celebrate women in film and address challenges posed by live shows to improve future iterations of the awards.
