David Tennant, the host of the BAFTA Film Awards 2025, took a swipe at US President Donald Trump during his opening monologue on Sunday evening (16th February).
The Doctor Who star returned to host the awards for the second year in a row, making his entrance to The Proclaimers’ I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).
He quipped “walked 500 miles just to host one BAFTAs more” and didn’t shy away from addressing controversial topics in his opening remarks.
Following Trump’s contentious re-election in November 2024, Tennant didn’t hold back in criticising the president in front of an audience of Hollywood celebrities and British A-listers.
He made a cheeky reference to Trump while discussing The Brutalist, describing it as “a film about incredible architecture. In fact, it’s the boldest architecture in film this year, apart from Donald Trump’s hair in The Apprentice.”
Referring to the biopic based on Trump’s life, which features Sebastian Stan as the property tycoon, he joked that it was unlikely the president had seen it.
“It’s a 15 and it’s not on Nickelodeon,” Tennant teased, according to Deadline, prompting laughter from the crowd.
“Donald Trump… I’m worried. I’ve said his name three times. It’s like Beetlejuice – I’ve summoned him.”
He then added, “Talking of villains”, pausing for a moment as the audience continued to chuckle. “We’ve got many this year, not just Nosferatu.”
Tennant, who wowed viewers last year with his lead role in the sizzling Disney+ drama Rivals, had already raised eyebrows with another jibe.
During his BAFTA hosting debut last year, he took a swipe at Trump while discussing the Yorgos Lanthimos film Poor Things, explaining the plot as “a child’s brain is put in an adult’s body.”
He quipped with foresight: “And later this year, one of those may be reelected president.”
The Trump-centric film The Apprentice is in contention for three BAFTAs, including Best Casting and acting honours for lead Stan and Jeremy Strong’s portrayal of Roy Cohn in supporting roles.
Ralph Fiennes’ religious thriller Conclave is leading the pack with a remarkable 12 nominations.
Not far behind is the divisive musical Emilia Perez, which has garnered 11 nods, while Brady Corbet’s powerful historical drama The Brutalist is up for nine.
UK highlights feature the rebellious biopic Kneecap, centred on the eponymous Belfast-based Northern Irish rap group, with six nominations, alongside Steve McQueen’s WWII drama Blitz, featuring Saoirse Ronan, with three.
The BAFTA Film Awards 2025 airs from 7pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.