As the Baftas approach this Sunday, we look back at some of the most unforgettable moments in the ceremony's history. From Russell Crowe's rage to a surprise pig guest, the awards have seen their fair share of chaos.
In 2002, Russell Crowe won Best Actor for A Beautiful Mind but his speech was cut from the broadcast. He recited a poem that went on too long, and when he discovered the edit, he confronted the director at the afterparty, pinning him against a wall and kicking chairs across the room.
1989 saw John Hurt attempt to fight a pack of 30 photographers after the ceremony, screaming obscenities. He was unrepentant the next day, telling the press he loved being a 'bad boy'.
Diversity issues have plagued the Baftas, with #BaftaSoWhite trending multiple times. In 2017, all acting and directing nominees were white, leading to a formal review of processes. Yet the hashtag returned in 2023.
One of the oddest moments came in 1996 when a pig attended as guest of honour, supposedly for the film Babe. However, the pig was not the film's star – it was a random pig that someone brought along.
Other highlights include Joanna Lumley's awkward 2019 hosting, a foaming red carpet in 2002 that ruined Judi Dench's shoes, and Jack Nicholson's memorable video acceptance from the set of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
