BAFTA Movie Awards 2026 / Events 2026 / Contents Page

Event Review - BAFTA Movie Awards 2026

Last Sunday I attended the biggest red carpet event of the year: The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Movie Awards. These are the UK’s equivalent to the Oscars — a night where the films and stars of 2025 are celebrated in full glamour on a lavish red carpet.
I hadn’t been since 2024 because the entry system is a ballot, and it’s always a gamble whether you get in. Since Applause Store took over, it’s become even more difficult; they’re stricter, more selective, and far harder to impress. My own application was unsuccessful this year, but my friend managed to secure a place in the access (disability) section and asked me to attend as his assistant. That invitation meant everything — without it, I wouldn’t have been there at all.
The Journey: A Test of Determination
To guarantee our spots, wristband collection was between 9:00 and 10:45am. Naturally, this was the morning my trains decided not to run. At all. I had to rely on a replacement bus service, and to make matters worse, my local bus doesn’t run until after 9am. That left me with no choice but to walk an hour into town before even beginning the long bus journey.
It was cold, early, and frustrating, but I kept going. After the walk and the bus ride, I finally arrived — tired, but in time.
We collected our wristbands and had a short break before we were asked to return. When we got back at 11:30, access attendees were held aside while all regular ticket holders were let in first. It wasn’t until around 12:45 that we were finally allowed into our pen.
Once we were in position, we could relax a little. We knew our spot, we knew we were secure, and now all we had to do was wait for the arrivals to begin. And wait we did — the first guests didn’t start appearing until around 2:30.
The Atmosphere Before the Chaos
Alan Cumming was the first notable sight, filming his opening links for the show. We tried calling him over, but he didn’t acknowledge us. That’s the nature of red carpets — some people come over, some don’t, and some simply can’t.
But once the arrivals began properly, the energy shifted. The crowd came alive, the music was blasting, and the familiar rhythm of a red carpet took over: shouting names, waving items, phones held high, and that constant hope that the next person will come your way.

Celebrity meets

Dylan Llewellyn – I’ve met Dylan a few times and worked with him at EM-Con. He is a really lovely guy and he took a lot of time interacting with the fans.

Paul Forman – Honestly, I haven’t seen anything with him in, but he was meeting the people around me and I always get a selfie as it doesn’t cost anything. I feel rude saying no if he is offering. Plus, you never know what they will do next or if you’ll become a fan in the future. He was friendly.

Stellan Skarsgård – I have met Stellan before and he is always very accommodating. As he wandered over you could see he seemed frail; there have been reports he had a stroke recently. He said he didn’t want to sign today, just do selfies, which was fine for me, and he was sweet about it.

Aaron Pierre – I’ve missed him three times in the last two years, so I was happy to finally get him to add to my Mustafa cast piece. We had a brief interaction talking about his upcoming stage show One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and how excited he was for it.

Harry Melling – I’ve never been a big Harry Potter fan, but over the years I’ve met many of the cast, so it was nice to add his photo to the collection. He was quiet but nice.

Sarah Niles – No one recognised her at first, and then I called out to her. She was shocked she was recognised and wasn’t sure she would come over until I flashed my Ted Lasso cast piece, and she was surprised I had something for her. She was nice.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw – My friend noticed her first and called… and called… then screamed at her. Once we had her attention she came over. She was brief but friendly.

Riz Ahmed – A very quick hi and selfie.

John Davidson MBE – A friend called him over. He was far away and rushing in, but he came over anyway, which was nice. I didn’t know who he was at first as I hadn’t seen his film I Swear, but I knew of him. He was very polite and was taking in the positives from all this.
Jonathan suffers from Tourette’s, and he was shouting out obscenities during the ceremony, including using the N-word when Black actors were onstage. The BBC failed to edit it out and it’s become a huge news story this week. I do feel he has been really victimised over his actions at the event. BAFTA and the BBC should have handled the incident better — the onscreen apology wasn’t worded well and none of the feelings of the Black actors were addressed. John can’t help what he says when he has his tics; it doesn’t excuse how it can make others feel, so a conversation should have happened directly between all parties, not become a witch hunt.

Nick Mohammed – Always so lovely and genuinely sweet.

Aidan Gillen – We noticed him from afar and called him over. He’s always had a negative reputation, but he was nice, chatty, and engaging.

Chase Infiniti – I met Chase before at the One Battle After Another premiere. She was very sweet and kind, really enjoying the atmosphere.

Warwick Davis – Another I’ve met many times and worked with at EM-Con. He has been very hit and miss over the last few years, but he was very friendly, signing and posing for selfies, even taking cameras off people to take them himself.

Jessie Ware – Don’t think I’ve heard any of her music, but she was being friendly so I got a selfie.

Kathryn Hahn – Annoyingly, she missed out most of the line so I didn’t get much. There is a slow-motion video online of her ignoring us all, which makes us fans look really bad. Slow-mo shouting never looks good. But the music was so loud you couldn’t even hear yourselves, so you needed to shout.

Russell Tovey – Lovely guy, taking his time with people.

Peter Mullan – What an absolute sweetheart. You can just tell he is genuinely a nice man.

Wagner Moura – Another I don’t really know. He was a bit aloof and didn’t really want to interact much.

Katy Cavanagh– My friends called her over, and I love a selfie. She was nice.

Glenn Close – I wasn’t quick enough to get an autograph, but I’m so happy I got a selfie with her. She is an amazing actress and was very nice… we also have the same birthday.

Minnie Driver – I’m kicking myself that I forgot to bring my Grosse Pointe Blank DVD as it’s signed by other cast. She was very lovely and looked stunning.

Odessa A'zion– She is so full of energy and excitement, really having fun meeting the fans.

Mark Strong – He wasn’t going to come over; he was talking to his friends and waved. The lady next to me was deaf and non-verbal, but she kept calling him as best she could. I shouted to him that she was deaf and he came over, joking that I had guilt-tripped him.

Tosin Cole – Very quiet and reserved.

Olivia Cooke – She was so lovely, taking her time and dedicating a lovely autograph for a friend. I’m kicking myself as I write this because I forgot she was in Slow Horses and I had a cast piece in my folder. A lovely meet.

Carey Mulligan – I missed her in 2024 as she arrived late, and I only got a photo of her in the distance waving at me. I was happy to get a real chance to meet her. She was very nice.

Emma Stone – She was rushed but very kind, signed two images for me, and posed for the selfie.

Jesse Plemons – He is a nice guy, taking his time. We were calling for his wife Kirsten Dunst; she was ignoring us. I asked him if there was any chance she would come over. He said, “She’s her own person so it’s up to her,” but it was worth an ask.

Michael B. Jordan – A quick rushed hi and selfie, but he is a nice guy.

Jack O’Connell – Really rushed but happy to interact. I told him I enjoyed his role in the latest 28 Years Later and he thanked me and seemed genuinely happy to hear it.

Teyana Taylor – Again, another I’ve met before, but she was really kind walking the line and taking time with everyone.

Maggie Gyllenhaal – Quieter than I expected. I had met her before years ago, but this was my first selfie with her.

Benicio Del Toro – He was walking off and missing some of the line, but my Funko caught his eye and he came over to me, signed quickly, and said hi. It was too rushed to get a selfie, but I had one from a while ago so it wasn’t a priority.

Leonado DiCaprio – This is the second time in a while I’ve met him and I am surprised how nice he comes across. I always expected him to be distant, but he took his time. My picture didn’t come out and he came back to me.

Ryan Coogler – One I was after as I missed him at The Sinners premiere. He was quiet but friendly, and another signature added to my Sinners piece.

Amybeth McNaulty – She was walking the line and taking photos. I couldn’t place her, so I took the selfie. It wasn’t until after she had gone that it clicked who she was. This is the reason I always take a selfie — red carpets can get crazy and your brain is always on catch-up.

Maura Higgins – I keep meeting her at these events. Don’t really know who she is, but she’s pretty and always just there.

Hannah Waddingham – She was rushed but stopped for selfies.

Jess Alexander – My final meet. She was rushed and being dragged off but posed for my selfie, which was nice of her.

The Royal Rush

As always, everything changed the moment the royals were due to arrive. Staff suddenly rushed everyone inside, clearing the carpet as quickly as possible. It’s always frustrating because it means missing out on people who were still on their way down the line. One of my biggest disappointments was missing Ginnifer Goodwin — I’ve been after her for years.

William and Kate eventually arrived and walked the carpet. They didn’t really acknowledge us, so I entertained myself by singing The Lion King’s “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” as he passed. It felt appropriate.

By around 4:30pm, it was all over and we were released.

Reflections on the Day

Overall, I came away with a good number of selfies and some brilliant names. I didn’t meet as many new people as I’d hoped, but the interactions I did have were lovely. I kept my autograph list limited this year, focusing only on pieces I genuinely wanted to complete. A few people I hoped to meet didn’t come over, which is always a shame, but that’s the unpredictable nature of red carpets.

Despite the long hours, the cold, the travel chaos, and the waiting, it was a genuinely happy day. The best part of these events is always the same: spending time with friends, sharing the excitement, and experiencing it all together.

A Note on the Access Pen

I take my role in the access pen seriously. Unfortunately, there are many who abuse the system — people who attend as a plus one but don’t actually help the person they’re with, or dealers who use disabled attendees to get closer access for profit. That behaviour reflects badly on everyone and leads to unfair judgement of those who genuinely need that space.

For me, yes, I love getting my selfies and autographs, but my priority is always supporting the person I’m assisting and helping others around me when I can. We’re a community, and that sense of community should never be lost.