BAFTAs Host David Tennant Enlists Michael Sheen, Tom Hiddleston, and Judi Dench for ‘Staged’-Inspired Monologue

LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 18: Host David Tennant on stage during the EE BAFTA Film Awards 2024 at The Royal Festival Hall on February 18, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Joe Maher/BAFTA/Getty Images for BAFTA) Getty Images for BAFTA.

David Tennant gathered a cadre of celebrity pals to kick off his opening monologue at the BAFTAs.

The 2024 ceremony commenced with Tennant reimagining scenes from his popular pandemic series “Staged,” co-starring Michael Sheen. The scenario portrayed Sheen entrusting Tennant with the care of his dog, Bark Ruffalo, on the same night as the BAFTAs. Tennant’s attempts to pass the canine companion to friends such as Stanley Tucci, Himesh Patel, Tom Hiddleston, and Judi Dench proved futile. Ultimately, Tennant arrived at the Royal Festival Hall in London with Bark Ruffalo in tow.

Taking center stage, Tennant quipped that his monologue ran over three and a half hours and anticipated that the evening would proceed “smoother than Ken’s chest,” in reference to the doll character portrayed by Ryan Gosling in the film “Barbie.”

He also humorously remarked on the audience, clad in black tie and evening gowns, likening them to the characters at the outset of “Saltburn,” a film by Emerald Fennell about affluent Oxford students. However, Tennant hoped the evening’s conclusion would not resemble the final scene of the movie, which features BAFTA lead actor nominee Barry Keoghan disrobing.

This year’s ceremony marks Tennant’s debut as BAFTA host, succeeding last year’s host Richard E. Grant.

In an interview with Variety prior to the awards, Tennant mentioned he took cues from the recent Golden Globes ceremony, where host Jo Koy’s jokes, including one aimed at Taylor Swift, fell flat.

“Don’t diss Tay Tay, I think is the lesson to be learned,” he said. “I live in a house of Taylor Swift fans, so I know better.”

The BAFTA Awards were held at the Royal Festival Hall in London. “Oppenheimer” led the nominations with 13 nods, followed by “Poor Things” with 11. Both films are contenders for Best Film, with “Oppenheimer” also receiving nominations for Adapted Screenplay, Director (Christopher Nolan), Supporting Actress (Emily Blunt), Supporting Actor (Robert Downey Jr.), and Lead Actor (Cillian Murphy). “Poor Things” is also vying for Adapted Screenplay and Outstanding British Film.