Live from the Red Carpet BBC News: The Baftas

Police in Leeds have been called

to one of Yorkshire's busiest

shopping streets after an attempted

ram raid took place.

As you can see, men in two cars

drove onto a pedestrianised street

in the centre of Leeds and attempted

to rob a high end watch shop.

The men in balaclavas didn't succeed

in gaining entry and escaped before

the police arrived.

Now on BBC News, it's time to join

Jane Hill for special coverage

live from the red

carpet at the BAFTAs.

Hello and welcome to this BBC News

special programme, bringing you all

the red carpet arrivals for the

annual British Academy film awards,

coming live from the Royal Albert

Hall in central London. Let's start

our coverage by reminding you which

films are in the running for the

coveted award of Best Film.

How are you doing?

Nice to meet you.

You must be a resource did.

A little

bit.

Bring things up to your room?

Follow him.

You are very welcome

here. Our home is your home.

When will the lesson be learned?

When will the lesson to be learned?

! How many more dictators must be

appeased?! Before we learn! You

cannot reason with a tiger! When

your head is in its mouth!

Can you get closer?

! I can't risk

it.

Hang on.

Get them out.

Bring it here... Bring it here.

If it was me, I would start up a

database. If a baby was born, stick

him on it. And as soon as he has

done something wrong,

cross-reference it and make sure it

is a correct match, then kill him.

Yeah, well, there's definitely civil

rights laws prevent that.

And welcome to our perch here above

the red carpet at the Royal Hall for

the annual British Academy film

awards. That gives you a flavour of

the real variety of films that we

have been watching over the last

year. But tonight's ceremony has an

unusual backdrop, a much more

political backdrop, because you may

well have heard in the news today of

the letter that has now been signed

by more than 200 British and Irish

whip in working in the entertainment

industry, working across film,

television and theatre. And it's an

open letter to a major British

newspaper in which they call for an

end to harassment for all women

wherever they work, rather they work

in the world, which ever industry

they work in. We will talk about

that, I'm sure coming here tonight.

Also, we expect here on the red

carpet and echo of what we saw

Globes in the United States, with a

very, very large proportion of the

actresses and actors wearing black

on the red carpet. And we are going

to talk about all of that here

tonight with the film critic Jason

Solomons, he with me outside world

Albert Hall for another year. And

the fashion news director at the

Telegraph. Lots to talk about in

your specialism as well.

They will be with me for the next

hour and a half as we watch all the

stars arrive, and all those

questions are asked, doubtless,

about the backdrop to this year's

ceremony.

Lees is but is with us at the other

end of the red carpet are standing

right now.

You will be talking to a lot of

people as they arrive, who are we

expecting to.

We expect some of the

biggest stars of the film and

screen. In the acting stakes, we

hoped is big to Gary Oldman, people

like Annette Bening, Frances

dormant, Sally Hawkins, Angelina

Jolie is up for best foreign

language film, so a host of people

will be coming through and we will

ask them about the films themselves.

And of course, the time's up

campaign, many will be wearing black

and the pains to emphasise the

message they are getting across. We

will be with all of the latest at

this end of the red carpet when they

arrived. Back to you for the time

being.

Lizo, talk to you shortly.

As I have been watching everyone

arrive in the last half an hour, a

lot of people have already arrived

and a large proportion of people I

have seen have had the time out...

Time's Up lapel. It is striking how

many people we have already spotted.

It is not just actors and actresses

coming this evening, it is people

working behind-the-scenes in the

film industry, and that is what this

movement is all about. Let's reflect

on what year it has been in sin are

and what we might see tonight.

Jason, good to have you with us

tonight, we will talk about the

films in a moment, but you follow

this industry so closely, it is

really striking. There is something

different here. We saw it at the

Golden Globes, what do you think

might change? It might feel

different tonight because of this

letter and the Time's Up campaign.

After the Harvey Weinstein story

broke, people felt there was a sea

change. The Golden Globes came along

with the Time's Up campaign, and

wearing black. Things really are

changing. What is interesting is it

is continuing at the BAFTAs to show

that no one is giving up on this. It

is a time for a sea change in the

industry. The women are taking it in

their own hands. Women do it

themselves, they are fed up of it.

And it is not for the men to argue.

I think the depth of feeling was

unknown. I think now we are seeing

the anger and frustration coming out

with an industry that you would have

thought had put women on top, it

makes goddesses out of actresses,

but it has been a lie. Underneath it

all, it has not been satisfactory,

and the industry is waking up to

that and being woken up to it as

well. Two years ago, it is about

being woke to diversity, and now you

have a bug buster like Black Panther

tearing up the box office this very

weekend. That energy is happening on

the red carpet, women want equality

in the way films are made. It is the

industry behind the red carpet.

Film-makers behind the camera. We

look tonight at the best director

category, it is all male.

A lot of

comment about that when nominations

were announced.

Sometimes you can

only reward the films out there, but

it might be the last year we see

that happening. And in future, it

might not be the mother mated, women

are not signing up for that, but

they want parity and equality.

Time's Up, I can listen to that as

well. It is interesting that cinema

is taking the lead on this. It is a

huge industry, but it is about

iconography and messages on the

screen, having the inspiration to

change people's lives, they are

doing that off-camera now. Now the

camera is on the carpet, it is their

time to shine and it is a hugely

important evening for that to be

taken at around the world.

We were

listening to Kristin Scott Thomas in

the last ten minutes or so, she was

talking to Lizo, and that was part

of her point, "We have a platform."

Rightly or wrongly, people listen to

people like her. If you are in the

public eye, people listen to you,

and her take on it was getting the

message out it is not just about

rich privileged women, it is all

women, but the point is, if you are

a big success, people will listen to

you. That is why they are trying to

use their voice.

If you are in a

film, in a great film, people will

look up to you and want to behave at

that. But it leads off the screen as

well. As an actress, you have that

was once ability and you take that

responsible Aguillon. You see an

icon like that, Emma Watson donated

£1 million of her own money. She was

Hermione, beauty and the beast,

people adore the image of this

person. And the person behind the

image speaks up when they had to

project at awards are minis at this.

It is hugely influential, and they

are aware of that influence. In the

age of Instagram and Twitter, those

influences spread even wider even

quicker. The industry is trying to

play catch up with the force of the

movement here. Next year, we will

see it catch up, things will move

very quickly because it is a force

of nature here on the black clad

carpet.

And in terms of fashion, we

saw it at the Golden Globes,

anecdotally, you and I have been

watching people arrive over the last

half hour, I would say, a very high

proportion of people have chosen to

wear black. What impact does that

have? What does it mean within the

fashion world?

The decision to wear

black really shows how powerful

fashion can be as a statement. This

letter has been sent out and we

talking about it but nothing will

have the impact of seeing those

pictures of all these women together

on the red carpet wearing their

amazing black dresses. The statement

of that sends a strong message. And

the red carpet is the platform that

women own in the film industry. They

can make money from the contracts

they get with the designers, and you

know, it is their time to shine. It

is about them taking the power back.

OK, we will talk more about that

over the course of the evening.

Jason, we are here to discuss film

and celebrate film, that is what the

awards are about. Let's have a

canter through some of the runners

and riders here tonight. A really

curious year, a really unusual mixed

bag in that category of Best film.

I

would like to say that I am sure any

of the women that have signed that

letter today, they wouldn't want to

detract from the work done in the

films, it is important the films get

celebrated. And there are

extraordinary films at BAFTA this

year. We have The Shape Of Water,

Dunkirk and Darkest Hour, the

evacuation of Dunkirk, British

stories. It is a very British year

that BAFTA is getting behind, which

is interesting with four best actors

being Brits, recognising the craft

and stage talent we have here for

many years. Young actors coming

through from a different background

as well. Things are changing. We are

seeing that. It can go quicker, but

this year, I think Dunkirk Phillips

as I am going to say to now, I think

Dunkirk will surprise people do not.

Christopher Nolan has done an

extraordinary job of directing the

film. We will see him recognised as

best I written, I think. I think

right now, there is a very divisive

film in Three Billboards.

Much more

to be discussed, let's head over to

the other end of the carpet and

rejoin temperament. I am joined

Niels

you did all of the animatronic

creations loved by many, how does it

feel to work on something like that?

It is a dream come true. That is

what I wanted to do as a little boy

and I am still a little boy!

When

you helped create the characters,

did you know how much people would

love?

No, you don't. It is difficult

to do. It appeals to the young as

well as to the old. It is a tricky

thing. I always worried that if we

get it wrong, we would end up with

as much hate mail with as much as

people that love it.

How much of it

is down to radical creations? You

have you creating something real

onset.

It is an important thing with

all the Star Wars films. Certainly

when I grew up, they have always

been showcasing visual effects. It

is important they are grounded in

reality, that is what the Star Wars

world is. The practical effects will

always be in the films, they are

loved for that reason as well. It is

an important aspect of what makes a

Star Wars film different to other

phones.

You are now working on Star

Wars episode nine.

We are. The Hans

Solo movie is coming out soon, so we

are looking forward to how that goes

down, the film looks amazing.

Thank

you so much.

Best of up to you.

Thank you very much indeed.

Thanks, Lizo. Let's continue to talk

about the films themselves, Star

Wars, worth reminding people early

on that at the battles we have two

categories, best film, but also best

British film. A curious one because

Three Billboards, which you touch

on, which I enjoyed hugely, it is

nominated in both categories. That

is interesting in itself, because it

is a Brit and depiction of life in

small-town America, but it is in the

best British film category because a

Brit wrote and directed it, a

London-based man.

He calls self

London Irish because he is all

about. Many people will ask what is

British about it. It is a film that

looks at small-town life in America.

I think there is a bit of small-town

Ireland in their -- there as well.

It is universal, there are lots of

Missouris all over the world. It is

about that tinderbox atmosphere of

how politics can be thrown into the

middle of At The Races arty and

cause ructions. They will have to

get on together. That is what the

film is about, the difficulties of

doing that when people almost

against doing that and living

together. It has a fantastic

performance in the middle of it by

Francis McDormand.

It has been 20 years since Francis

McDormand carried off a BAFTA.

This

is a firebrand character who is

hell-bent on revenge. Sometimes she

does things that you do not admire

and sometimes she does things that

you want to cheer about. She makes

such impassioned speeches, it is

such a great performance. The

actress category will be super

strong. You have got Sally Hawkins,

Margot Robbie in I Tonya. They are

an lucky to come up against one of

the all-time performances.

It would

be hard to imagine anyone other than

Francis McDormand going away with

that statuette, but it is the BAFTAs

and surprising things happen. In

that category let's talk about

Saoirse Ronan in Lady Bird, we are

talking about a strong year for

women. It is written and directed by

Greta Garbo Wake, known as a

comedian, a performer herself. It is

a wonderful portrait of family life

and life in Sacramento in

California.

An ordinary girl trying

to break out of an ordinary town. It

is another strong female performance

in a lovely film.

It is delightful.

Small but perfectly formed. It has

only got three nominations. Timothee

Chalamet is nominated for another

film, Call Me By Your Name. But

Saoirse Ronan is fantastic. She

shows her comic timing and it is the

sort of film that a younger woman

might watch and say, that is me, I

understand that. It is a film about

daughters and mothers. There is a

wonderful supporting performance by

Laurie Metcalf who has also been

nominated. It is a tender film, it

is about communication and

noncommunication, things we should

have said that we felt we did not

say. It is about growing up and this

is the sort of film that might not

have got to the BAFTAs a few years

ago but now it has. On the back of

the #MeToo movement and the

empowerment we are seeing from the

female side of the industry, stories

like this are being given more time

and they are being looked at again.

The female perspective is being

reconsidered and not in terms of

what it is saying, but in terms of

its importance, giving equal

importance to the male perspective.

That is why Lady Bird is being

celebrated so justly.

We are

slightly biased because we love Lady

Bird. There is Kristin Scott Thomas,

nominated for Best supporting

actress for her role alongside Gary

Oldman. If that does not win and

make a award, I don't know...

Put

Kristin Scott Thomas is acting

opposite that make up, literally

supporting it! Gary Oldman is

everyone's favourite to win it, but

there could be a surprise. Daniel

Day Lewis is great as a 1950s

couturier in London. It is also

supposedly his final performance.

We'll BAFTA, who have awarded him

many times before, get all romantic

and give him another one. He has

never won for an acting part before.

He has won BAFTAs for directing and

writing, back in 1998. He is an

actor rather than a director and

writer and never been rewarded as an

actor. It is been a great career and

maybe Churchill will carry the day.

I am joined by Leticia Wright. You

are at the centre of one of the

biggest movie phenomenon is we have

seen for years, Black Panther.

How

has it been? It has been incredible

to see everybody come together and

support our film, it means a lot.

Months of dedication from the cast,

the crew and the studios and seeing

everybody coming together in unity

to go to the cinemas and to break

records like that has been amazing.

We are really grateful. We will be

seeing a lot more over you in the

next few months. You play in Stephen

Spielberg special effects

extravaganza. You have been doing it

for awhile, but this year it has

really taken.

What has happened? It

is mad. I have been working really

hard and the seeds are growing

there. Everybody is turning their

head and pay attention to the young

people in the industry. Daniel

Kaluuya is having a great year, but

that is years of hard work. We are

grateful for everybody showing to

ask their positivity and support, we

are really grateful.

Thank you for

speaking to us.

She is currently in Black Panther.

She is a remarkable talent and still

only 24. You are commenting on what

she is wearing.

She has been dressed

by Gucci tonight. The film industry

will talk about someone as a

promising up and coming personality,

but you know when the big designer

houses are addressing these girls

and they get interested in them, and

Gucci is the label of the moment.

Simon Kelly is the creative director

there and he is stressing all the

coolest young girls in the world. If

she is wearing Gucci, that is a good

sign.

She has already made it. How

does that relationship come about?

The head of Gucci and the chief

designer, do they literally go

through a guest list for an event

like this and say, this is who I

want? How does that come to

fruition.

The fashion houses will

have their VIP liaison teams who

work closely with the stylists for

these girls. It is not the designer

and the actors, it is the liaison

team and the stylists working

together to create this

relationship. It is really

strategic. They do not think just

one award thing at a time, they

think about the whole season and

what they want to get out of the end

of it. They want to raise their

profiles and make them into fashion

stars and film stars and they work

together to do that.

That is the

Gucci seal of approval. You have

very recently returned from New York

fashion week and going back to so

many people, as we are seeing here,

wearing black on the red carpet as

they did at the Golden Globes, what

was the talk of that in New York and

what has been the impact on the

fashion industry?

A lot of designers

in New York had been influenced by

the Golden Globes red carpet. They

would have been creating their

collections at the time when all

that happened and they would have

had to rush to make up new samples

of the games they had made but in

black. We saw a lot of the finales

of the shows showing beautiful,

long, black, velvet dresses. It

really had a deep impact on some

people. They agreed with the

sentiment behind the messaging.

Someone ended up doing a whole

series of black dresses at the end

of their show and that was a nod to

the movement and showing the impact

it is having already and maybe what

we will be wearing next season, who

knows? Maybe there will be a lot

more black in the shops.

Leticia

Wright in that interview mentioned

Daniel Kaluuya, a little bit older

than her, but still what a fantastic

talent. How striking to be nominated

in an acting category this year, but

also nominated in the Rising Star

Award which is the only award that

is voted for by the public. What a

year he is having.

It is

extraordinary and he has been

nominated for best actor in Get Out,

an extraordinary film, nominated at

the BAFTAs and the Oscars. A few

years ago it might not have got the

attention. We are seeing indie films

and edgier films, films that deal

head-on with raised, and Daniel

Kaluuya is fantastic also in Black

Panther, a film that deals with

race. Maybe it is changing the way

race is viewed as a business and a

commodity. I think politics and

cinema are mixing tonight very

closely. We are seeing activists on

the red carpet as well.

We are

indeed and one of those is

presenting an award tonight. I am

with Gemma Atherton who is

presenting an award tonight and also

talking about the campaigns and the

action that has been taking place.

She has been joined by Gwen Davies

and Eileen Fulham, who are two of

the original Dagenham girls who

fought for equal pay at the end of

the 1960s which led to the launch of

the Equal Pay Act. So much has been

happening today, the open letter in

the Observer, how much has been

done, is it enough?

It is an

incredible amount of work that has

been done in a very short amount of

time. There is a real appetite for

change and this is the moment, but

there is so much more to do. Over

half of women in the UK have

suffered sexual abuse and that is a

statistic that needs to be

eradicated. We have set up a justice

and equality fund which will help

anyone who has been sexually abused

in the workplace and that is the way

we can keep moving this forward and

get out further than the

entertainment industry.

Eileen Gwen,

you fought for this in the motor

industry. Did you imagine with all

the steps forward you made in 1968

onwards that still on the 21st

century people would be fighting on

these issues?

Never, we thought it

would end by now, we thought

everybody would have their rights,

but it has not happened

unfortunately.

50 years ago we did

all this, didn't we?

What is it like

having a platform like the BAFTAs?

It is lovely.

And what is it like

working with these incredible people

who have been such an example for

the last four decades?

It is a

complete on air.

She has done us

proud.

But you have done everybody

proud. All the women out there maybe

do not realise what these women have

done for them, getting the Equal Pay

Act, and we still have so far to go

with it. There are echoes of you

two. You should be so proud. You are

like royalty to me.

Thank you so

much. I hope you have a good

evening.

Thank you.

That is to

reflect. And that sums up what it is

all about. We were doing this 50

years ago. Yes, my goodness, they

were. That brought through the Equal

Pay Act and there are elements of

that still being talked about in

2018. And tonight being talked about

on the red carpet. Gemma Atherton

not the only actress arriving here

tonight with an activist of one form

or another. We have already seen the

one from Andrea Rice Barak who had

another member of the activist group

with her and there will be an number

of others and again replicating what

we have seen at some of the award

ceremonies in the United States

where a similar move was made. That

is wonderful to hear from Gemma

Atherton and those fantastic women

who, as well as the serious issues,

one hopes are in for an enjoyable

night at the British Academy Film

Awards. This is special coverage

from BBC news broadcasting across

the UK and around the world on BBC

World News live from The Royal

Albert Hall in central London. It is

an occasion where we celebrate film

and commemorate those who have done

so brilliantly in cinema over the

last year but with a very political

backdrop this year in particular.

Jason, let's talk about Daniel

Kaluuya, we were talking to him

before, and we were talking about

the rising star category voted for

by the public. It includes Florence

Pugh, who was wonderful in that

bleak film Lady Macbeth. I enjoyed

it more than I thought.

I am glad

you enjoyed it. I think she becomes

a star in that movie. She is a

rising star and it was an

outstanding British debut. The film

is by William Oldroyd, about a woman

who takes her revenge on society

really. It is putting her in a

situation she does not want. It is

very timely. This feminist firebrand

movement. It has had a long

momentum. Interesting to see how

Florence seizes her moment as well

and becomes this slightly monstrous

figure, but one that you love. In

this scene here she is quaffing all

the wine of her master played

menacingly by Chris Fairbanks. But

she is tremendous in it and becomes

her own woman. She is 17 when she is

forced into an unhappy marriage and

breaks out of it.

In quite a brutal

way. I will not give too much away.

I am delighted to see at the BAFTAs

and that is what the BAFTAs are for,

to elevate British films onto a

higher pedestal. It was made for

under £1 million and here it is on

the red carpet getting this exposure

internationally as well. Americans

will see Florence Pugh and say, who

is this talent? BAFTA uses this

occasion to push British films into

the bigger spotlight. When you have

got talent like Daniel Kaluuya and

Florence Pugh, they could be so in

demand. Some people were annoyed by

Angela Jackson, a Brit, taking the

role of an American. He is

tremendous as well. Here he is in

Get Out. One hesitates to give too

much away because there is a

surprise in it, but it is about the

black boy going to white parents to

meet the parents for the first time

and finding some very strange goings

on in the woods. He is tremendous.

He is funny, sensitive and strong

and powerful in it as well. He

manages to mix those emotions very

well. There is a mystery to it as

well.

And an excellent American

accent because you would not know

this was a Brit again in a

quintessentially American film.

In

north London boy from Camden and I

have known him for a few years. I

did a double-take when I saw him. I

knew he was good! But I did not know

he was that good. When they get

their moment and they seize it, and

he is great in Black Panther as

well, a huge blockbuster. No one is

backwards in that either, they

seized the day. See actors do that

is a real pleasure when you see them

grow into mighty stars as well. I

might never get near him again!

He

is on this platform, that is as

close as you are going to get. I am

keeping my eye out on the red carpet

and watching people arriving. Sir

Patrick Stewart is going to be

presenting an award. And Angela

Riseborough is behind us, wearing

black. Have you been keeping an eye,

but I have not seen many flashes of

colour. It looks as if the vast

majority of people tonight are

wearing black. There are few outer

codes that other colours and you

cannot blame them for that. Gemma

Atherton looked as if she was

freezing to death.

That is what you

have to do when you are dealing with

these red carpets. I don't know why

they don't have these shows in the

middle of summer! Everyone seems to

be wearing black and it is

interesting, but you can still show

your individuality and your style.

Some women have been wearing great

kaiser dashed trouser suits. Gemma

Atherton had a fantastic dress that

was trailing behind her. Yes, it

looks fantastic.

And there is no

sense in which designers feel

hamstrung by this in any way?

Perhaps it encourages them to be

even more creative. Everyone is

wearing the same colours so they

have to find a little flash of

individuality to make their

particular actor or actress

standout.

I don't think they could

refuse to do it. These women wearing

their addresses, it is such an

important moment for them that they

will do anything. Saoirse Ronan's

dress had already been made for the

Golden Globes and it was all

prepared and then they had to remake

it, Versace had to remake the dress

in black once the dress code was

announced. I have been hearing a lot

about runs on black fabric in

factories and things. They have to

get on board with it and things were

being done right at the last moment.

But the fashion industry is really

on board with this whole movement.

The fashion industry has had its own

#MeToo moment with models being

abused and photographers being

exposed and harassment and it feels

part of one big movement actually.

To turn the argument on its head,

what about people who say what

difference does it make? What is

this telling us? What is it doing?

There were three women at the Golden

Globes who did not wear black and

did it for the reason that they

said, if we are protesting that we

have been told what to do for so

long and we have been oppressed for

so long, why should we protest that

by being told what to do once more.

You had a few more minor characters

on the scene wearing these fabulous

floral dresses. One model wore a red

dress that was slipped right up to

her side. It was kind of an act of

defiance. But it didn't really go

with the tone of the moment. I am

not sure it went down too well or up

their profiles.

That is interesting.

I have spotted Toby Jones behind us.

I am a big fan of his, particularly

on stage. I notice he is wearing the

#TimesUp badge. A lot of the men are

wearing it as well. This is not just

about women doing this. This

movement is nothing without male

allies. There are a lot of men as we

are seeing here wearing the badge as

well.

The actual cry is to end, to

listen up, time is up. Men have to

listen. Men in the industry have to

listen. Men who run the voting

bodies. They call it the patriarchal

society, it is a stuffy old

institution that has had to take

stock of the movement. The Oscars

have done it. They changed the

membership and they ushered through

more gender diverse members and the

BAFTAs did the same in 2016 and we

are seeing that change. We are

seeing a change in the sort of films

that get favour with the voters. The

more people see things from a

different perspective, the more we

will see it change. BAFTAs is an old

institution and it takes awhile to

change things around. Men have to

listen really and that is their

brief at the moment. These movements

are making it impossible for them

not to hear. We are all listening

and paying attention. The films

change as well and the nature of the

films that we are watching

eventually shift. It is all very

well to look at the red carpet, but

the important thing is ultimately

the stories and the way they get

told and viewed will also change. As

critics have to listen to fresh

perspectives equally.

We must return

to you, look who is with you.

I am joined by the writer and

director of Three Billboards Outside

Ebbing. How was it juggling all the

elements of pain and anger and

incredibly dark humour in this film?

I guess writing wise most of my

stuff is like that, it veers between

darkness and comedy so it is natural

for me. But when you have got the

best actors around and you let them

get on with it, they take care of

that for you.

Where did the

inspiration come from?

I saw

something similar to what we see on

our billboards about 20 years ago in

the southern states of America and

it stuck in my mind and I thought if

it was like an angry mother who put

those up, what story would develop

from there, so that is where the

idea came from.

The part was written

with Francis McDormand in mind.

Could you imagine anyone else in

that role?

Know, if she had said no,

we would have been screwed. She is

perfect for the part. She has got so

much integrity and so much

intelligence and range. She is just

perfect, especially in a year like

this with the #TimesUp and #MeToo

year. It is fantastic with somebody

like that who is so brilliant and

strong in the film. Amazing.

Thank

you for your time, best of luck.

Thank you very much. I was a bit

distracted by Gemma Atherton

sporting Ruth Wilson in the crowd

and they had a big hug. There was a

big cheer when Julie Walters had her

photo taken with her husband behind

us. A huge amount of affection for

Dame Julie Walters, as we must call

her. There is Toby Jones. He is

wearing the Times are from a bad

will stop Bethan hold from the

Telegraph who is with us throughout

our coverage this evening, you were

picking up on information about

Gemma Atherton as well.

Usually as

soon as the actress appears we are

told what she is wearing because it

is a very important thing to know.

But we have not been told yet. This

could be part of the strategy of

this moment, even though we are

talking about it, for us to reflect

on other things instead and for the

focus not to be on the dresses.

There has been this whole campaign

around the film industry for a few

years now called Ask Are More, but

to talk about the actresses on other

things as well. It is conflicting

because they rely so much on these

designers to dress them and the

design houses get the publicity. I

am sure it will not be a secret for

too long.

It is interesting it is

something we have talked about here

for quite a few years in our

coverage, we are fascinating to know

who designs the dress and very

rarely do we say, Eddie Redmayne is

wearing a lovely suit, who designed

that? It just does not get asked as

much.

Maybe that is because all the

men look the same. Some men do go

out on a limb, but often they are in

the same flat tie. Tonight the women

are all wearing black, but they look

quite different.

Yes, you are right.

We are looking at Annette Bening who

is nominated for Film Stars Don't

Die In Liverpool. Daniel Kaluuya as

well, who we have talked about so

much tonight. He is an plastic. Two

fantastic performers side by side.

And I love Film Stars Don't Die In

Liverpool as well. It was not

nominated at the Oscars. I think

Annette Bening is great. Also Jamie

Bell is nominated as Best actor. She

was playing the Hollywood siren

Gloria Grahame in her later years

when she came to England and was

working in a theatre in Watford and

ends up having to recuperate from an

illness with a family in Liverpool.

Julie Walters plays the mother in

that family, looking after Annette

Bening. She has to put the electric

blanket on. It becomes a clash

between Hollywood celebrity and a

good old Liverpudlian family. Then

they are, Annette Bening, Gloria

Graham, dancing.

Let's talk about

the film we have not touched upon so

far.

That film is The Florida Project. An

incredible film. A slice of life

seen through the eyes of small

children. You either most

responsible adult, what was it like

on the set?

It was fantastic, we

were with people reflecting the

story we were telling and it was

really good. It was a cast made up

of actors and nonprofessionals and

it was an interesting experience. It

was the only way we could capture

the story.

Why has it resonated so

much with people around the world?

Because it expresses how people have

to help each other. It is a very

human story. It does not have a lot

of bells and whistles.

Thank you so

much for your time. And another very

loud cheer went up behind us during

that interview and some of it was

for Salma Hayek and that is

interesting because she was one of

the first people we can say to

kick-start everything that we are

now talking about, because she has

written at length and very

powerfully about her experiences of

making that wonderful film Frida,

which was produced by Harvey

Weinstein.

It is interesting to see

her here. In 2001 she was one of the

big a list celebrities who came to

the BAFTAs. The BAFTAs moved to this

cold position to be for the Oscars,

which changed the BAFTAs as a world

player on the stage and a lot of

that was to do with Harvey

Weinstein. He said, I will bring

Mike a list to you. That is if you

change it. So the BAFTAs did and we

cannot look at all these movements

because the BAFTA weekend was a big

weekend for Harvey Weinstein and it

is no longer than that. The ghost of

Harvey Weinstein is here, and the

victims are here, that we can now

call them the survivors.

I am on the

red carpet with one of the red stars

nominated for Best actor, Jamie

Bell. What drew you into this

incredible life story?

It was an

unexpected, extraordinary, surreal

beautiful portrait of two people

meeting each other and falling in

love. I almost could not believe it

was a true story. But then I met the

real guy and I saw the truth and it

was a real story. It is hugely

important to me that Annette Bening

is in this film and it was important

for her to have this input and

wisdom and experience. It was one of

the most extraordinary things that

happened in this man's life. He

became a writer after that and wrote

a beautiful memoir. We valued his

inclusion in it.

It did not

concentrate too much on the age gap,

but portrayed these two people who

had a strong love for each other.

I think that love transcends all

things. This film is about love. I

really love how the film had that.

If the character didn't think about

it, I didn't either.

You are here

with your partner as well. You are

wearing a Time's Up badge. How

important is the activity going on

on this issue?

Very, I think.

Would

you like to say something? It's

great for us all to be here, the

women are mostly in black, the men

are wearing the Time's Up pins to

keep this incredible moment in our

lives and our history going, and to

keep the conversation going.

Thank

you for your time.

In fact, Jason Cummings you and I

were talking about Jamie Bell, your

excellent BAFTA knowledge coming

through.

He was responsible for one

of the big upsets when he beat

Russell Crowe to the best actor

award. He carried that off. After

does do that, it does reward the

home crowd at several stages. We

might see that night. We have some

great British performer tonight, and

none greater than Gary Oldman.

The

man himself is here with us. Playing

Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour.

What was it like playing someone

like that?

It was pretty daunting

going in. The good news is that the

family, the Churchill family and

particularly Randolph Churchill,

really impressed in the film at the

performance. I feel almost like an

honorary family member now.

Occasionally, he calls me great

grandpa par.

Did you try to channel

his spirit rather than a straight

impersonation? We know him so well,

the mannerisms of the voice.

I

studied a lot of footage and read as

much material as I could, like you

would with any famous figure. You

have to limit what you look at

would with any famous figure. You

have to limit what you look at. At

the end of the day, it's a creation

rather than an impersonation. You

almost start with an impersonation

and kind of work away from it. You

have to own it.

It has caught the

attention of audiences around the

world, not just here in England.

Good luck tonight. You are fairly

certain that that award should be

his tonight. As you are just

reflecting, BAFTA can throw up

surprises. Remind us who votes and

how it works. We talk about this

sense of it being someone's turn, or

they have that career but not the

statuette. How does that play out in

the boating?

People have loved Gary

Oldman for many years. They thought

he was great in many things. He was

great as Count Dracula when he went

to Hollywood. There is a sense among

many British voters that he left

British cinema when he was doing all

of that realism stuff. Maybe younger

actors from this country might

behave differently. Daniel Kaluuya

went to Hollywood and has an Oscar

nomination.

He joins us now. A BAFTA nomination

for Get Out and also for the rising

star.

What has it been like? It has

been a while when. It is great being

hit with my family, celebrating and

enjoying this. It is stuff that you

believe in. It is such a special

feeling.

Why do has the movie

resonated with audiences not just in

America but around the world.

It

resonated with the audiences. It is

really exciting.

It is one of those

films that isn't released in the

traditional award season towards the

end of the year, it has been around

for almost 12 months now. Where was

the point you realised that it could

be a serious award contender.

We had

a Q&A, and it was packed. That was

crazy.

That journey was surreal.

What does it mean to get a rising

star nomination.

It's amazing.

Everyone I respected in that year,

whatever year it has been, I have

been excited about. Being amongst

these people who fan of, and they

are great people, it is a special

thing.

Thank you for your time.

I was desperate to hear everything

he said, but it is officially

getting very loud here now, and it

is very hard to tell what anyone is

saying. There have been a lot of

screams. A lot of cheering.

Naomie Harris as well. We were

talking about how they were making

the black outfits look individual.

Absolutely stunning.

A fantastic set of black trousers

and a gorgeous, sheer overdressed

with further embellishment. Loaded

with crystals. Her hair looks

majestic. She looks fantastic. Just

shows that you can show your style

even when you're wearing black, and

gold in her case.

Black and Gold,

yes. Beautiful it was.

I am here with Annette Bening, best

supporting actress for Film Stars

Don't Die In Liverpool. . This is a

story you have known about for 20

years or so. Why was now the right

time to make it?

We were very lucky. Peter Turner,

who wrote the book, is from

Liverpool. He had this unusual

relationship with Gloria Grahame

many years ago and wrote a

beautiful, tasteful book about this

important event in his life. He and

Barbara broccoli, a producer, were

friends and they started talking

about making it 20 years ago. It was

not the right time. It was about

five or six years ago that Barbara

and I ran into each other at the

BAFTAs, in the ladies room, and we

looked at each other and said we

have got to get back at that. That

is when it started to get rolling

again. We were very lucky. Colin

Bains came on as director. We put it

together. We have wonderful people.

I feel so lucky to be a part of it,

and the family of people who wanted

to make this love story.

What made

Gloria such a complex character to

play?

She had a complicated personal

life, but it was hard for me to get

a lot of facts about that. I didn't

want to invade anyone's privacy. She

was a life force and believed in her

craft. When things were not going so

well, she came to England to do

place will

well, she came to England to do

place will. She met this beautiful

man from Liverpool called Peter

Turner, tool after deeply. They

broke up and eventually she got sick

and his family in Liverpool to

Corinne. That is what the story is

about. -- his family in Liverpool

took her in.

The wonderful Annette Bening

nominated tonight.

The film stars are writing thick and

fast now. We noticed Florence you

behind her. She is nominated for the

rising star for Lady Macbeth.

There is another that has had an

impact this year.

What is important that these are

becoming popular in the cinema as

well. It was made into a big hit.

Lady Macbeth as well, which I

mentioned was a small film and made

a star of its leading role. A great

herald of a great career. I think

that we can hear from them. Another

windswept British film.

Let's hear more about it. I'm joined

by the star of Lady Macbeth,

Florence Pugh. What was getting the

nomination like?

I mean, it's pretty

crazy when BAFTA gives you any nod,

let alone a nomination. It has been

so wonderful for me, so wonderful

for the film, and it is such an

amazing category. I'm in front of

Daniel White now, alongside people

like him!

You must be delighted to

see Lady Macbeth getting a debut

nomination.

It constantly keeps

letting the film higher and higher,

further than we thought it was going

to go. This is probably the last

time we can milk the film. We have

done our fair share of events. Thank

you to everyone who voted, and to

people who continue watching the

film.

We will see you in the

follow-up in some ways to the night

manager, the next big adaptation.

You play that Little Drummer Girl.

We started filming a couple of weeks

ago. We not stopping for a long

time. We are in it now, no going

back. Very excited. I'm pretty

chuffed that I got that role. Keep

your eyes peeled.

A lot of people

are wearing black. The Time's Up

movement is important for you. How

important is what is happening

today?

It is everything. The reason

I suddenly felt empowered about

being a young actress now is for

that reason. It is so important to

talk and to keep listening, and so

important that this is everywhere,

not just in our industry. To be a

young woman right now is a fantastic

time, because we will be listened

to. I'm pretty excited for the next

chapter.

Thank you. Enjoy your

evening.

Thank you. Nominated for her role in

Lady Macbeth. And the wonderful

Sally Hawkins Wiese dotted standing

behind her as well. She stars in the

programme crepe. It has so many

nominations.

12 nominations, leading

the pack. It is a strange film,

about Sally Hawkins, a mute clean-up

called Eliza, who has a relationship

with an aquatic creature in that. A

film set in the early 1960s, during

the height of the Cold War in the

US, set in a nuclear facility where

this strange creature is brought in,

and the cleaners are the only people

who understand the creature. It is

about the marginalised and

downtrodden of the time.

There is a

mystery did alien creature. It is

maybe seen as a riposte to trumpthis

America.

This is the fantasy film made as a

response to be movie films.

These issues have been in the air

for a very long time. They come up

time and time again, which is why

they are saying time is up for them.

It is time to address them and get

the balance right and talk about

them. As Bevan said earlier, for

many years women on the red carpet

said, don't ask me about my dress

and my nails, ask me other

questions. Florence Pugh said it was

an exciting time to be a young

actress. While time is up, it is

only just beginning for a new

generation like her.

A time to sign autographs as well,

which is what we saw Jennifer

Lawrence doing behind us. A lot of

screaming for Angela Jolie, who is

right behind you there. She is

having a lot of phones thrust at

her.

She is wearing a British brand,

one of her favourite couture brands,

the people who designed Megan

Markle's wedding dress.

Margot

Robbie has just arrived, she is

starring in I, Tonya, which has just

opened in the UK. Is there a sense

of the number of British designers

worn here tonight?

There are

definitely a few. Angelina Jolie is

wearing one. Sally Hawkins is also

wearing the same label. Designed by

tomorrow Ralph will stop we also saw

the Lee James wearing Lilli

McCartney. We're in the middle of

London Fashion Week, so it is a nice

complement to London Fashion Week to

see all these brilliant British

designs on the red carpet.

You

mentioned Lee James, who is in the

Darkest Hour. We were talking about

Gary Oldman earlier. Let's return to

learn more about The Shape Of Water.

I'm joined by the lead, Sally

Hawkins, who is up for best actress.

How challenging was it playing this

character, who hardly ever speaks?

You have got the technical

challenge, but it was a bit of a

gift. I was delighted to hear she

doesn't speak, because in the script

you are trying to work out how you

make words that the mouth. And make

sense. And yet her inner dialogue is

so rich, of course. There is no such

thing as true silence. All about

communication is not really through

words at all. It felt completely

right. The best moments are when

we're not speaking, I think.

Especially in terms of love, you

can't define it.

How flattering was

it that Guillermo del Toro, the

director and writer, had you in mind

when he created it?

He had a lot of

us in mind, and he wrote for all of

us, I think. I think he is one of

those people... When he has a voice

in his head... I always worry, even

when we are filming, I was convinced

he got the wrong person. He had a

name, but the wrong face. Then when

we met, it was too late. That he was

just being polite. You always go

through that. That is how he is. I'm

not sure how he knew and plucked me

from Putney into Baltimore. I don't

how that happened. That is him. He

does that with everything.

A

wonderful performance and a

beautiful film. Enjoy the rest of

the evening.

I wish I was more

eloquent on these occasions.

You

were beautifully eloquent. Lovely to

meet you. Have a lovely night. And

you. And get drunk. I won't. I'm

working tonight.

Wonderful axe macro have a lovely

night. Sally Hawkins wants you to.

There was someone I wanted to listen

to. There is something curious about

The Shape Of Water, but quite

enchanting. She was also in

Happy-go-lucky. . People warm to

Sally Hawkins and her performances.

There was another film where she

played an American folk artist. She

was unlucky. BAFTA would love to

celebrate Sally Hawkins with an

underwater, but she's up against

Frances McDormand, which is bad luck

because she is hard to beat. If

anyone has a chance, it is Sally

Hawkins in The Shape Of Water. It is

a silent role, and she plays it like

an old-fashioned silent screen

heroine.

I am pausing only just because I

have spotted who we have.

It is Saoirse Ronan. So many women

around the world have said they

related to Lady Bird so much. What

does that reaction mean to you?

It

is the best reaction you can hope

for. If anyone wants to see a film

or read a book, you have to feel

like you see a bit of yourself in

it. Even if it is set in Sacramento

and you are from the UK, or it is

set in space or something. It is

that human sentiment of wanting to

belong and find your way. That is

something everyone can relate to. It

is an incredible thing that people

have responded to it in the way they

have. The young people who are out

tonight who love the film so much is

great.

How strongly did you have to

look back through your own memories

of that age for emotions, feelings,

what you were going through that

could help portray Lady Bird

on-screen?

I think I still have

them. I don't know if they are gone.

It was only a few years ago that I

was that age. One of the things that

I related to was needing to go

somewhere else, go to a different

city or find out who you are away

from where you grew up, in order to

be able to really truly appreciate

it. So I could relate to that. I

think what everyone goes to add that

age, which is figuring yourself out,

and your insecurities and trying on

different characters to see which

one fits you. I think that is some

thing that every young person goes

through.

Have a wonderful rest of

the evening.

Thank you.

Saoirse

Ronan, who came to prominence in

Atonement. One of our favourite

films this year, Lady Bird.

Did we spot Octavia Spencer in the

crowd? We are getting so deafened by

all of the Cheers, it is slightly

overwhelming. I am conscious that we

have not talked a huge amount about

a best supporting actress, about

that particular category. We touched

on Kristin Scott Thomas because she

is in Darkest Hour. I have not seen

Leslie Manville, what are my

favourite actresses of all time it

is a great category because there is

her and Allison Janney, who to my

mind steals I, Tonya. I know she's

not technically the star, but it is

her film.

She is great. She plays

the mother of Tonya Harding, played

by Margot Robbie in that. She is

fantastic. She is probably the

favourite to win. I know that

BAFTA... They come and kind of do

the hustings, they come to the BAFTA

membership. She plays the mother of

Tonya Harding. A monstrous figure in

many ways in this story of

ice-skating. If they are not

watching us, they will be watching

the ice-skating. It will be coming

to the fore there as well. It is

about the commitment a mother makes

to get her daughter all the way to

the Olympics. A terrible story of

what happened with Tonya Harding in

the Olympics, and the strength

needed to kind of go all the way.

Allison Janney is traffic here, a

hard smoking mother who has a tough

relationship with her daughter. We

mentioned Lady Bird, which is a

tender mother-daughter relationship.

This is a very different

relationship, kind of brutal. You

think it would be very much focused

on the ice-skating. It is a

hard-core comedy, very brutal. So

much love for her from her work on

West Wing. As you say, a very tough

category. Laurie Metcalf is terrific

as well, Leslie Manville. It was

interesting, many years ago, Leslie

Manville and Gary Oldman were an

item.

They had a son.

They are

reunited on the red carpet. I don't

think they are frosty, but it is

interesting for them to be back in

the same room, and potentially

carrying off the best performing

awards.

Mark Kermode is convinced

that Leslie Manville will win the

award. That would be quite a turn

up.

If she wins the Oscar, it will.

I don't think she could do the whole

thing and win at the BAFTAs as well.

Leslie Manville is not a showy

performer, has done 11 films for

Mike Leigh, which accrues you a lot

of love over the years. Never the

main character in those movies, but

a brilliant supporting actress.

Again, so superb as Cyril in Phantom

Thread. This controlling figure,

done up to the waist. The only

person who can floor Daniel

Day-Lewis's character.

Fingers crossed. Let's see what

happens in that regard. The best

supporting actress is a strong

category. Let's see who takes home

the statuette tonight. Octavia

Spencer in The Shape Of Water also

nominated. We have also had from

Kristin Scott Thomas who was talking

about her proud involvement in the

Time's Up campaign. We began that

conversation because we started

talking about I, Tonya, which has

only just opened here in the UK. I

was saying that I think it is

Allison Janney's film. She is the

knockout, as the hardest mother you

could ever possibly imagine. I think

we can hear from her.

We are joined by Allison Janney, one

of the stars of I, Tonya.

How hard

was it ringing empathy to a

character it would be so easy to

play as a monster?

That was my

challenge, to bring humanity to her.

I just had to issue that someone

like that, I know that she started

out as a little girl, so something

had to have terribly gone wrong in

her life. I have to imagine that she

too was abused, it is those sort of

things I had to piece together on my

own. I did not have the advantage of

meeting the woman and asking what

her childhood was like. But I

approach every role, even a real

live person, as having to have it

make sense to me. Also knowing how

much it took, growing up as a figure

skater, I knew had much it took to

take me to the rink before school

and after-school, and what that

meant. That helped me understand

what she had to go through to get

her daughter this unbelievable

opportunity to be a start, to have

success. Those things rooted me in

her humanity. That's my job.

Briefly, they say that the cliche,

never work with children or animals

will stop you had the younger Tonya

Harding and a parrot as well.

I

auditioned three parrots. I had a

breathing Tube, and he was

fascinated with that so started

picking at my ear. But I wasn't

going to let him stop me telling my

story. I can definitely say he was

my favourite animal co-star of all

time.

I love working with animals.

Thank you for your time was up enjoy

your evening.

I'm so glad you asked her about the

parrot. I wondered whether it was

CGI. You have not seen it, you will

have deceived to understand it. It

is quite an achievement. Allison

Janney, much loved by so many

people, as you suggested earlier,

not least because she was amazing in

the West Wing, but also in I, Tonya.

I could not hear everything, because

that man there walked behind us at

the same time. My goodness, the

number of screens for Gary Oldman!

Will he walk home with the BAFTA

award for best actor for his

performance as Churchill in the

darkest hour? He is now standing

close to the entrance to the Royal

Albert Hall here in central London.

That final stage, the final flash of

light bulbs before people go inside

for the evening ceremony. The cheers

are still very loud. I'm sort of

starting to get the sense, certainly

among the public, not that they are

the ones who vote, but there will be

a lot of disappointed people here

tonight if he doesn't take her the

BAFTA for best actor.

We have heard so much about this

film already and I am told that Gary

Oldman's performance is getting

standing ovation around the country.

He does some of the speeches of

Winston Churchill and people have

been standing cheering in the aisles

and roaring it on again. Those

speeches were heard on the wireless

in the 40s and now they are being

seen. He is to reflect as Churchill.

He views it with the same maverick

spirit that he brings to all his

films. In Dracula he was naughty and

cheeky. In George Smiley in Taker

Taylor, it was the same and he

brought energy to films he has

directed as well. It has been a

fantastic career that I think will

be crowned tonight by that fantastic

performance. It is almost a camper

and theatrical performance. It is

not saying this is real history,

this is an actor's take on history.

Doing Churchill is like doing

Hamlet. Millions of people do their

own version of Churchill and this is

Gary Oldman's version of Churchill

and it is helped by the hair and

make-up department. If they do not

win this BAFTA, there is no justice.

There is always a fellowship at

BAFTA. Tell us who we know will be

receiving the fellowship.

This is a

spoiler. It goes to Ridley Scott, a

pillar of the British establishment

who has been working since the 1970s

with films like Alien and Blade

Runner. He made the original Blade

Runner and the second version is now

nominated. But Ridley Scott's career

has come full circle with the legacy

he started out with in 1982 and the

original Blade Runner. He has also

been involved with Thelma and Louise

and Gladiator, so he is one of the

big film-making presences. All the

money in the world is nominated for

with Christopher Plummer. He

replaced Kevin Spacey when the

sexual allegations surface. They got

the film made in exactly the same

time, so he is still pulling of

these feeds of directing and that is

why he is getting awarded a

fellowship tonight.

A bit more about

that later. Let's talk about the

film we have not talked about much,

The Death Of Stalin. Armando

Iannucci, best screenplay. And best

film as well. It does not seem like

obvious comedy material, the death

of a figure like Stalin.

Certainly,

the death was grim and hilarious at

the same time and that is what

appealed to me about it. At the

times they all said reign of terror,

a despot, everyone is too scared to

say the right thing or the wrong

thing and everyone behaves

abnormally. We found when we were

researching it, people used to joke

about Stalin. But it is like comedy

was the way out, it was the way of

undercutting the terror.

And you

made the decision to have the actors

using their own accents, inspired by

Sean Connery in The Hunt For Red

October.

I wanted it to feel real

and it would not feel real if

everyone put on fake Russian accent.

The Russian press said thank you for

not using fake Russian accent, hate

that.

And what is the situation in

Russia?

Has it been resolved? Not

yet. I have spoken to the Russian

distributors and there is a Russian

election coming up next month and

maybe they got sensitive about it. I

am still hopeful it will come out.

People who have seen it have loved

it and the banning it has made it

more infamous in the country anyway.

It is the opposite of what they

wanted.

Thank you for talking to us.

Enjoy the rest of the evening.

Armando Iannucci behind so many

favourites on television and now The

Death Of Stalin and you probably

spotted Leslie Manville standing

behind him, nominated in the Best

supporting actress category

alongside Daniel Day Lewis in

Phantom Thread. We are edging

towards what should be the closing

down of the red carpet. They don't

call it that. I have stood here on

many years when they have had a few

comedic moments when the late comers

scuttle up the red carpet and don't

assign any autographs because there

is no time at all. We are just

waiting for one or two people to

arrive here at the Albert Hall to

night. No sooner do I talk about

Leslie Manville...

With us right now, Best supporting

actress nominee for Phantom Thread.

Did you immerse yourself in 50s

fashion to prepare for this role?

What research did you do?

There is a

lot of delightful research you can

do, you can start at the V&A. You

can read lots of wonderful books and

look at lots of amazing pictures.

Yes, I had seven months to do all of

that and it was a glorious time to

immerse myself in that whole world.

I like clothes anyway, so it was not

like, I have got to read up about

this period in fashion history and

it was a drudge, it was wonderful.

I

think that is harder to research is

this co-dependent relationship that

your character has with her brother,

played by Sir Daniel Day Lewis. How

hard was that to work on, or did it

click immediately?

Thankfully it

clicked. We did not know each other

immediately, but once we knew we

were going to play brother and

sister, a good few months before the

film, we got to know each other and

became friends and easy with each

other and translated that to these

two brother and sister who are

immensely comfortable with each

other and very easy and can have

breakfast without speaking and it is

still OK. That thankfully happened

organically and thankfully we got on

and it was all a dream.

For you what

was the message? What came out of

the movie? Is it an exploration of

Art versus real life?

I suppose it

is a film about how we want love in

our lives but some people want to be

autonomous and maintain their

individuality and their own life,

therefore they can block love out

and they can be very controlling and

at times narcissistic about

themselves and things. But it is

about how we juggle all of those

things which is relevant to all of

our lives.

Leslie Manville, best

supporting actress nominee, have a

lovely evening.

Thank you, I will.

Leslie Manville, nominated for Best

supporting actress alongside Daniel

Day Lewis. Let's see whether either

of them take home an award here

tonight. As we approach the end of

our programme, it is worth

reflecting on what we have seen on

the red carpet almost exclusively

black. I saw one lady who perhaps

was not wearing it and it is

interesting how strictly it has been

absurd in that sense -- observed in

that sense, and there was no loss of

individuality. We have seen some

really striking designs.

There was

talk about Naomie Harris in that

incredible beaded stress that she

was wearing. Kristin Scott Thomas

looked incredibly chic wearing

Deora, designed by a female

designer. A few messages in that. We

have not seen as many suits as I may

be thought we might. There were a

lot of women wearing trouser suits

at the Golden Globes. It really has

been an night of a great stress, but

nodding to the dress code.

And it

was interesting about Leslie

Manville's dress. Was like the

character in the film.

Usually you

expect somebody nominated to be in a

big, world-famous designer, but she

is wearing and Ballantyne, London

couturier who dresses the society

women in London. I think she dresses

the of Cornwall. It is very much a

London centric choice. A quite nice

change.

An unusual take. That is a

film for anyone who has not seen it.

The attention to detail. It is

nominated in costume design and

rightly so because it is beautiful.

It is so beautifully done. They

spent several years researching

every tiny aspect. If you want to

appreciate the time that those into

all these dresses tonight, you want

to watch that film. The last minute

working through the night to get

everything finished, the precise

measurements that go into

everything. Daniel Day Lewis trained

for a year at the New York City

Ballet to master the techniques of

couturier. He studied all these

vintage designs. He recreated his

own Balenciaga dress for his wife.

It is a real art and it is a real

tribute to that artform. It ties

nicely into the red carpet tonight.

It is a love letter to the craft of

making a dress which we think is so

old-fashioned and totally out of the

reach of 99.9% of the population.

But for those who could afford it,

and back then a few more people

could, it is absolutely beautiful to

watch.

Nowadays most of us were

things that are made in factories in

different countries. The women on

the red carpet tonight, it will all

have been made with incredible

attention to detail.

That is why a

film like Phantom Thread is

successful because it pays attention

to the craft. Behind that it is all

about the film and how it comes

together. There is an element of

craft in how a film like this comes

together as well.

And the Duke and

Duchess of Cambridge arriving at The

Royal Albert Hall. We were talking

earlier about the BAFTA Fellowship,

one is awarded every year. Ridley

Scott is receiving the Fellowship

tonight and it is customary for that

Fellowship to be presented by Prince

William.

It is. He is a patron of

BAFTA as well. And it is important

for BAFTA to have that patronage

with the Royal family and William in

particular because he is a bit of a

fan. I know Kate is as well. They

don't mind a night in with the telly

and a box set those two. It is

important to continue that patronage

throughout the Royal family and it

gives a seal of approval to the

British film industry and it shows

how important it is to the national

culture and national conversation

that a film like this can do.

And

the Royal couple walking right

behind us and it is interesting that

it is a largely green dress with a

nod to black.

When I looked at it on

the screen I thought it was black.

As she appeared in front of us it

appears to be green. She is seven

months pregnant, so an added

challenge for her. I think the Royal

family very rarely get involved in

political messaging and so perhaps

it is not such a surprise that she

did not join in with the rest of the

women and were black tonight.

We are

always told eventually, as with the

actresses, eventually we are told

which designer is responsible for

what they are wearing. Presumably at

some point we will be told here as

well. We know, rightly or wrongly,

how much interest there is in what

she is wearing, and now Meghan

Markle as well. You can make a real

statement. To what extent that she

were British designers as well?

She

wears a lot of British designers. A

few weeks ago she was in Norway and

what a wonderful Alexander McQueen

dress. I am wondering if this is

Alexander McQueen, her go to

designer. This would have been made

especially for her. We are still

waiting to hear which designer she

is wearing.

Due to have her third

child in April, and it is a very

chilly night for everyone to be out

here at the best of times. I have

lost count of the number of

actresses we have seen really

physically shivering here tonight on

the red carpet. It is quite

interesting. We know when the awards

are. These beautiful dresses are

designed for them. I look and think,

could they not have gone the extra

mile and design something with

shoulders?

We need to start talking

about the red carpet coat.

And for

William as well with his new haircut

as well, it would have been a bit

chilly tonight. I thought he looked

very stylish as well.

Thank you for

bringing it back to the men as well.

Jason and Bethany, it has been a