A person known for playing pranks on social media disrupted the best picture announcement at the Bafta film awards in London on Sunday.
In a statement, Bafta reported that a social media prankster was escorted away by security last night for attempting to join the final award winners on stage. The organization is addressing the issue seriously and will not provide any more attention by making further comments.
During the live broadcast on BBC One, a man in a dark suit joined Oppenheimer producer Emma Thomas and the film’s director Christopher Nolan on stage while Thomas was giving her acceptance speech. Lead actor Cillian Murphy was also present. The man stood behind Thomas during her speech and then left the stage with the film crew. According to Bafta, he was later taken into custody by security.
The person responsible for the prank was revealed to be a YouTuber who goes by the name Lizwani on social media. This individual also shared on Instagram that their footage had been confiscated by the police. Lizwani has a track record of sneaking into high-profile events, such as the 2022 Fifa Ballon d’Or and Brit Awards.
Although Bafta has not experienced stage invasions in the past, the Oscars has had its fair share, most notably the memorable appearance of a streaker in 1974 during David Niven’s introduction of another presenter.
According to Bafta, the viewership for the televised awards ceremony reached its highest point since 2020, with a peak of 3.8 million viewers.
Source: theguardian.com
