BAFTAs 2024 | Academy responds after internet prankster “almost crashes” Best Film announcement

Variety is reporting that the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) is set to come down hard on an internet prankster who almost crashed Christopher Nolan’s big moment at the 2024 EE BAFTA Film Awards on Sunday evening.

The man, whom BAFTA wish to remain nameless, joined Christopher Nolan, Cillian Murphy and producers Emma Thomas and Charles Roven on stage after Michael J. Fox named “Oppenheimer” the big winner at last night’s ceremony.  The man has reportedly attended various awards ceremonies both in the UK and overseas, chronicling the events on his social media pages.

The creative team were seated together on the right side of the stage as they walked collectively up to the podium to collect the golden BAFTA award. At the same time, the prankster, dressed in a black suit, appeared from the opposite side of the audience and ran up the stairs to join them. The BAFTA host, David Tennant, and Fox were also present on the stage at that time.

It seems that very few people in the audience, or those watching at home, were aware that the stranger who stood silently between Murphy and Roven while Thomas was giving her acceptance speech was not a part of their team. Nobody reacted as he joined them.

As Thomas was receiving the award from Fox, she invited the rest of the "Oppenheimer" cast, including Emily Blunt and Robert Downey Jr., to join him on stage. Just at that moment, a prankster appeared, and Thomas called out to his fellow cast members to come up on stage. Thankfully, the man arrived on stage just in time.

After Thomas finished her acceptance speech, the audience started clapping. However, the rest of the team stayed put. Then, a man appeared to tuck something under his arm and joined the clapping before walking off stage with Thomas, Nolan, Roven, and Murphy. It was then, BAFTA indicated, that he was apprehended by security.

“A social media prankster was removed by security last night after joining the winners of the final award on stage — we are taking this very seriously, and don’t wish to grant him any publicity by commenting further,” a BAFTA spokesperson told Variety