David Tennant kicks off Bafta ceremony with sketch performance

David Tennant kicked off the Bafta ceremony with a sketch performance of The Proclaimers’ hit I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).

The Scottish actor and Bafta host’s sketch began in his dressing room alongside his wife Georgia Tennant.

He called on the “Bafta gods” to help him, getting messages from fellow Scottish actor Brian Cox, who started singing a remade version of the Scottish rock duo’s hit.

Tennant wore a kilt as he walked into the event hall, during which he said “I’m going to work hard for you, Selena” Gomez, while touching the US actress on the shoulder.

The Rivals star, 53, hosted the ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall at London’s Southbank Centre for the second year running.

Tennant kicked off his speech with a dig at Donald Trump saying his hair in the Apprentice was bolder than the architecture in the Brutalist.

“Let’s make some noise for the sublime film the Brutalist.

“A film about incredible architecture, the boldest architecture in film this year apart from Donald Trump’s hair in the Apprentice.”

He followed up with: “Speaking of villains…” which drew much laughter and applause from the crowd, including from Star Wars film series actor Mark Hamill.

This segment was not used in the BBC broadcast.

Tennant joked about he and fellow actors “freshening up” while they age, after referencing that Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa took on his role in the BBC series.

He also made reference to the films being nominated and said he was belting out Wicked song Defying Gravity, which he said “didn’t go down well” with the audiences while he was watching The Brutalist.

Tennant also said “who doesn’t like a chance to have a wee halfway through”, while talking about the intermission in the three-and-a half-hour-plus immigrant story The Brutalist.

He joked about sitting down to watch the “gritty Narcos thriller” Emilia Perez only to discover it was a musical.

Later on in the ceremony he went amongst the audience saying he had been “let amongst the beautiful people.”

He joked with Timothee Chalamet saying he was “honoured to be joined by the runner up in New York’s recent lookalike competition”.

Tennant applauded the A Complete Unknown’s star’s “attention to detail” saying he was with a “Kyle Jenner lookalike.”

The 2025 Bafta Film Awards has been broadcasted on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK.