In between the glitz, the real stars spoke out at the BAFTAs

Danny Dyer and Daisy May Cooper
Fréa Lockley


On 12 May, the usual array of stars gathered for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards. But this year, beyond the glitz, some stars used the platform to highlight important political messages.

“They did tell me not to say it…”

In June 2018, EastEnders star Danny Dyer perfectly captured the feelings of many people when he questioned the “mad riddle” of Brexit. He also called former PM David Cameron a “twat“. And with no end in sight to Brexit chaos, Dyer’s sharp analysis is the gift that keeps on giving.

Asked to present the ‘Must See TV Moment’ award alongside Holly Willoughby, Dyer asked if he’d been nominated. As Willoughby replied “no”, Dyer responded:

I should have been nominated for calling Cameron a t***, but we’ll let it go. We’ll let it go for now. They did tell me not to say it

Dyer clearly spoke for many people. Some called him a “working class hero”:

Others, meanwhile, suggested he deserves a knighthood:

Because Cameron’s actions won’t ever be forgotten:

Best dressed

Although much of the corporate media went into a frenzy over who wore what on the red carpet, there was a clear winner this year. Daisy May Cooper stole the show.

Instead of spending a fortune on an expensive designer dress, she wore bin bags. Her full-length gown, strewn with rubbish, was made by her mother and friends. When asked by the BBC what she was wearing, Miller said:

I am wearing 60-litre bin bags… There is a reason behind it… I thought rather than spending money on a dress this year, I’d donate it to a local foodbank.

Many people celebrated Cooper’s iconic dress and political statement:

Undercover

The other stand-out moment at this year’s BAFTAs was Channel 4 News winning an award for its undercover work on the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

In March 2018, the Observer revealed that the data analytics company employed by Donald Trump’s election campaign, and allegedly by Brexit campaign Leave.EU, ‘harvested’ millions of Facebook profiles. A Channel 4 News feature further exposed the dealings of the company. Alexander Nix, head of Cambridge Analytica, allegedly offered to discredit political rivals, arrange smear campaigns, and use sex workers to entrap political opponents.

So the award was well-deserved:

Christopher Wylie, one of the key whistleblowers who helped break the scandal, also celebrated the award:

Since Trump took power in the US, actors have increasingly used the Oscars and Golden Globes as a political platform. This year, several UK actors seemed to follow this trend. It’s timely, much needed, and really does show who the real stars are.

Featured images via YouTube – PeterDltd / Twitter – Dan Wootton

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  • Show Comments

    1. Danny Dyer, agony uncle: “You’ve got nothing to worry about, son. I’d suggest going out on a rampage with the boys, getting on the booze and smashing anything that moves. Then, when some bird falls for you, you can turn the tables and break her heart. Of course, the other option is to cut your ex’s face, and then no one will want her.”

      Danny Dyer on what he wants to do to Mark Kermode: “It’ll probably just be a headbutt straight to the fucking nose, and then he can go off and do his impressions with a broken nose. That’d be good, wouldn’t it?”

      But he called David Cameron a twat so he’s OK with The Canary.

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