Bafta host David Tennant responds to odd theory about his sideburns

18 February 2024 , 14:34

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Fans are convinced David Tennant's sideburns are a reflection of his confidence as he prepares to host the Baftas (Image: Getty)

BAFTA Awards host David Tennant has shot down a bizarre theory of his signature sideburns that has gained traction online.

The 52 year old father of five said there was no "truth" to the theory with his facial hair related to his confidence issues. Following in the footsteps of fellow former hosts of the awards including Stephen Fry, Richard E. Grant and This Morning's Alison Hammond, David took part in a Q&A ahead of the ceremony.

During the conversation he was asked, "What’s your sideburn policy? They appear to be sized in direct proportion to your characters’ confidence." David responded: "That’s a very interesting observation, which I don’t think has any truth behind it, but it’s making me wonder."

Fans are convinced David Tennant's sideburns are a reflection of his confidence as he prepares to host the Baftas (Getty)

Unwilling to drop the matter, another fan said: "Fright Night’s Peter Vincent – long and bushy, confident vampire killer. The Doctor in Doctor Who – long and pointy, charismatic and charming. Broadchurch’s DI Alec Hardy – beard, no sideburns, introverted and suspicious."

And once again the Broadchurch star replied: "I don’t think you’re going to write a doctoral thesis based on that evidence. It’s very thin evidence, at most. I grew sideburns for Doctor Who because, back then, I was worried I was a bit young for it and I thought they slightly aged me. Which, of course, I then had to recreate recently when I’m almost certainly too old for it."

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He added: "I guess increasingly I am unshaven, in which case you don’t really have to worry about sideburns because they’re part of something else. Whatever length my sideburns are on the night of the Baftas has no reflection on how I’m treating the Baftas."

Speaking of hosting the show., he recently said: "I don’t currently feel particularly challenged because everything’s written down for me and I don’t have to worry about winning or not winning an award. If it was the first night of a play, I’d be curled up in a corner in the foetal position. But the fact that it’s not my day job certainly feels liberating.”

Away from acting, David lives with his wife Georgia and their five children. But it's clear that his prefers to keep his family life private. He told The Guardian: "I don’t think we’ll ever be sharing pictures of our children in Hello! magazine, but I think a lot of that comes from an insecurity about being uncovered or invaded. The longer you’re together, the less that feels like a threat."

David's wife Georgia is none other than the daughter of former Doctor Who star Pete Davison but the actor is keen to keep that fact hidden away from public scrutiny. Speaking to the Guardian, he added: "I have a very happy family life, very blessed, yeah. I understand there’s an interest, and I don’t want to feed it.”

Lucretia Munro