23 February 2024 , 15:51
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The BBC has issued an apology after a reporter came under fire for their questions to Andrew Scott at the BAFTAs.
The All of Us Strangers actor, 47, faced questions from a BBC reporter on the red carpet at the British Academy Film and Television Arts Awards earlier this month. BBC's Colin Paterson had left viewers branding his tone of questions "homophobic". The clip went viral after Colin asked Andrew about pal Barry Keoghan's hit film Saltburn.
Paterson asked Andrew: "Do you know Barry well?" The actor replied: "I know Barry, yeah." The journalist continued: "Okay, your reaction when you first saw the naked dance scene at the end of Saltburn..." Andrew became visbily uncomfortable with the chat as he laughed awkwardly.
Andrew quipped: "Oh jeez," as he answered: "Okay, well I won't spoil it for anybody. It's great, it's great." Paterson probed again and said: "You can spoil away..." Andrew started to move away as he insisted: "No, no. I won't spoil it for anybody." The BBC reporter asked: "There is a lot of talk about prosthetics, how well do you know him?" Andrew appeared awkward as he told Paterson: "Too much! Too much."
Colin Paterson came under fire for his questions to Andrew Scott at the BAFTAs (BBC)The broadcaster has now explained why the questions were asked after facing backlash online. They said: "Saltburn is a film which has had cultural impact, with Barry Keoghan’s scene at the end gaining a lot of attention in particular – something the actor has addressed himself. Our question to Andrew Scott was meant to be a light-hearted reflection of the discussion around the scene and was not intended to cause offence."
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The BBC said Saltburn director Emerald Fennell and singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor also faced the same line of questioning. They continued: "We do, however, accept that the specific question asked to Andrew Scott was misjudged. After speaking with Andrew on the carpet, our reporter acknowledged on air that his questioning may have gone too far and that he was sorry if this was the case."
Fans had initially slammed the interview for being homophobic as Andrew is gay. Taking to social media, one said: "There’s is something so deeply homophobic about asking Andrew Scott a gay man this weird a** question about Barry’s scene in Saltburn??" Another added: "Ask him about all of us strangers the BAFTA nominated film he is in… 'how well do you know Barry' Andrew deserves an apology from the BBC." Someone else commented: "Andrew Scott is an absolute prince for handling this so well. He could easily have told this w****r to f*** off, and no one would mind."
A fourth wrote: "Yeah awful. Please remember how lucky you are to be presenting on a national broadcaster and don’t ask questions like this next time. Poor Andrew Scott." Another user quipped: "This is frankly disgusting," as someone else said: "Asking a gay actor about another man's d**k in a f****** red carpet interview is so absurdly homophobic because it's creepy but also you're assuming because that person is gay they must have liked it/have thoughts about it because 'queers are sex-crazed'. Absolutely disgusting."