It was supposed to be a night of celebration for the stars of British cinema, but for one BBC reporter, it turned into a nightmare of awkwardness and backlash. Colin Paterson, the BBC’s entertainment correspondent, found himself in hot water after he repeatedly asked Andrew Scott, the Fleabag star and All Of Us Strangers nominee, about his reaction to Barry Keoghan’s naked dance in Saltburn.
Scott, who is friends with Keoghan, the Irish actor who stunned audiences with his full-frontal display in the Amazon Prime thriller, tried to brush off the questions with a polite smile and a vague answer. But Paterson persisted, even asking Scott if he knew whether Keoghan used a prosthetic or not. At that point, Scott had enough and walked away from the interview, leaving Paterson red-faced and speechless.
The clip of the exchange went viral on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, where users slammed Paterson for his inappropriate and disrespectful line of questioning. Some accused him of being homophobic, as Scott is openly gay, while others pointed out that he ignored Scott’s own achievements and nominations. Many also expressed their sympathy and admiration for Scott, who handled the situation with grace and dignity.
Paterson did not apologize for his blunder, but he did try to make light of it by joking that he had “broken the internet” with his interview. He also claimed that he had asked Keoghan himself about the nude scene earlier, and that he had given him permission to ask Scott about it. However, this did not appease the angry X users, who continued to roast him for his lack of professionalism and sensitivity.
Scott, meanwhile, did not comment on the incident, but he did enjoy the rest of the night with his co-star Paul Mescal, who was also nominated for All Of Us Strangers. The film, which tells the story of four strangers who form a bond after surviving a plane crash, did not win any awards, but it received critical acclaim and praise from viewers. Scott and Mescal also presented the award for Best Animated Feature, which went to Pixar’s Soul.
Keoghan, who was not at the BAFTAs, also remained silent on the controversy, but he did post a picture of himself on Instagram, wearing nothing but a towel and a smile, with the caption “Saltburn vibes”. The post received over 100,000 likes and thousands of comments, some of which were from his fellow actors and celebrities, who congratulated him on his performance and his physique. Keoghan, who was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Oscar for his role in The Banshees of Inisherin, is widely regarded as one of the most promising and versatile actors of his generation.
