BAFTA TV Awards viewers expressed outrage on Sunday evening after legendary actress Catherine O'Hara was omitted from the In Memoriam segment. The tribute honoured numerous stars from both in front of and behind the camera, but O'Hara's absence sparked a flurry of complaints on social media.
During the ceremony, Seth Rogen and the team behind The Studio—which featured O'Hara before her death—dedicated their Best International award to her. Rogen said: 'She meant so much to all of us, I assume her work was as important to you all over here as it was to us so this is for Catherine.' However, she was not included in the official tribute segment.
Fans took to Twitter to voice their frustration. One wrote: '@BAFTA massive error - missing Catherine O’Hara,' while another asked: 'Did I miss the tribute to Catherine O’Hara in that segment? #BAFTAs.' A third commented: 'Where was the legend Catherine O’Hara in the tributes? They always do this. Miss someone out. #BAFTA.'
BAFTA later confirmed that O'Hara had been included in the Film Awards memoriam segment, but her omission from the TV Awards left many disappointed. The incident comes amid heightened scrutiny of BAFTA's protocols following a controversy at the BAFTA Film Awards in February, when a tourette's campaigner involuntarily yelled a racial slur on stage, which the BBC failed to cut from the broadcast.
In response, the BBC has implemented new protocols for live events, including strengthened pre-event risk assessments and more senior oversight during broadcasts. The BAFTA TV Awards are seen as a major test of these measures, which were previously trialled during Comic Relief.
