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No modern film awards show is complete without a wisecracking host, who has the tricky job of compering the evening, bringing people on and off stage in rapid succession, keeping a restless audience entertained, and coming up with a decent comedy routine themselves. Hence the attention that is paid to the annual announcement of the Baftas, Golden Globes and Oscars hosts; they are gigs that can flourish in the cultural memory, such as Tina Fey and Amy Poehler’s multiple turns at the Golden Globes, or become infamous, such as Anne Hathaway and James Franco’s double act at the Academy Awards in 2011, which saw them castigated as “children” and “spectacularly unwatchable” by the media.
In December, the Baftas announced that Scottish actor Alan Cumming was to host of the 79th edition of the event, which takes place on Sunday; he takes over from fellow actor and Scot David Tennant, who occupied the berth in 2024 and 2025. Tennant was given a middling review for his efforts last year by the Guardian’s Gwilym Mumford, who called him “a game host, a willing song and dance man, but he definitely needs more help from whoever’s writing his gags” – but that was glowing compared with the notices that arrived for Absolutely Fabulous star Joanna Lumley after her turn in 2019; in an article headlined “Is Joanna Lumley the worst Baftas host of all time?” the Guardian said: “Watching it on TV was excruciating. Not only were the jokes bad, but the Bafta audience responded with a total, ominous silence.” Following the Lumley debacle, Bafta managed to claw back some credibility by hiring Graham Norton in 2020 (“a safe pair of hands”) and a well-reviewed Rebel Wilson in 2022 (“rescues Baftas”).
The actor and film-maker Alice Lowe, who presented three London film critics’ awards with her acting partner Steve Oram, says that awards show presenting is not as intimidating as it may seem. “Personally I don’t think it’s that much of a tough gig if you are used to live performance. The trick is not being so annoying that people hate you. I think they thought we would bring a sort of authenticity to it, which is why I suspect they asked me and Steve.”
Lowe adds: “I made sure I did my homework and watched the films nominated, knew who the nominees were and how to pronounce their names – I didn’t want some kind of John Travolta mispronunciation scenario. We also ran any jokes past the organisers.” Travolta’s difficulties in introducing Frozen star Idina Menzel – calling her Adela Dazeem at the 2014 Oscars – have since become regarded one of the all-time great awards show blunders.
Anna Smith, presenter of the Girls on Film podcast and chair of the London film critics’ circle from 2014 to 2020, was part of the committee that hired Lowe and Oram. She says that the choice of host is key to a successful night: “It’s good to have someone to set the tone of the event, to give a sense of occasion and to keep things running smoothly and to time. What organisers look for is a familiar face who understands the nature of the awards, and who’s prepared to do their research. They don’t necessarily need to be a comedian, but they do need to have a sense of humour and charisma. Most importantly, they need to be relaxed in front of a large audience of celebrities.”
As the Hathaway/Franco and Lumley experience demonstrates, the charisma and comedy timing that actors can display on screen doesn’t always translate well to the live presenting environment, where standup comedians and talkshow hosts often seem more comfortable. Lowe says that it’s “the ‘being yourself’ thing which throws actors”, adding: “They often start to malfunction in a fascinating way. Comedians, on the other hand, have an exalted position as jesters who are there to tear things apart anyway, so it’s sort of allowed to be a bit rude and disregarding of the pomp of it.”
The joke writers – often anonymous, behind-the-scenes figures – are a key part of the process, Lowe says. “It’s not about you. It’s about putting yourself into the other person’s shoes and preempting how they feel, and putting them at ease.” But even for comedians well versed in the art of the roast, things can go badly: see Jo Koy’s disastrous routine at the Golden Globes in 2024, or Seth MacFarlane’s poorly received We Saw Your Boobs song at the 2013 Oscars.
While memory may dwell on the disasters that awards shows can serve up, an inspired host can provide a positive cultural experience on a gigantic scale. The selfie taken by actor-director Bradley Cooper at the 2014 Oscar ceremony, which featured a number of Hollywood stars including Jennifer Lawrence, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, and event host Ellen DeGeneres, became the most reposted item on what was then Twitter (now X). Lowe says that Jonathan Ross, who helmed the Bafta film awards five times, from 2007 to 2011, is the most impressive host she has seen. “It was the way he seamlessly segued from chatting to people and putting them at ease in the commercial breaks, into scripted Autocue moments, and then improvised gags in response to unpredicted events. A very smooth operator, and supremely relaxed, which is the key.”
