Baftas Organisers Speak Out After Matthew Perry Is Left Out Of 'In Memoriam' Tributes

Baftas bosses have spoken out after viewers complained that Matthew Perry was left out of this year’s “In Memoriam” tributes.

On Sunday night, the Baftas took place at London’s Royal Festival Hall, with David Tennant on presenting duties and Oppenheimer picking up five of the 13 awards it was nominated for.

During the ceremony, Ted Lasso fave Hannah Waddingham performed a special rendition of Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time, while the show paid tribute to the key figures from the film industry who had died in the last 12 months.

However, after the segment aired, many were upset not to see Matthew Perry getting a mention.

Although Matthew was best known within the entertainment industry for his Emmy-nominated performance as Chandler Bing in Friends, he also appeared in a string of films including The Whole Nine Yards, Fools Rush In and 17 Again.

A Bafta spokesperson has since clarified that, because Matthew was most known for his TV work (which included The West Wing, The Odd Couple and Studio 60 On The Sunshine Strip as well as Friends), he will be included in the TV Baftas’ tributes later this year.

He has also been featured in a longer list of tributes on Bafta’s official website.

Matthew was found dead at his home in California in October of last year, at the age of 54.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner subsequently confirmed that Matthew had died from the “acute effects of ketamine”, with contributing factors to his death including drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine, a drug used in the treatment of opioid addiction.

After fans and Matthew’s former colleagues began paying tribute last year, an old interview quickly resurfaced on social media, in which the Emmy nominee said he’d hoped he would be remembered for his work in helping those struggling with addiction, having been candid about his own substance abuse issues throughout his career.

He said: “The best thing about me, bar none, is if someone comes up to me and says, ‘I can’t stop drinking, can you help me?’ I can say, ‘yes,’ and follow up and do it. That’s the best thing.

“And I’ve said this for a long time — when I die, I don’t want Friends to be the first thing that’s mentioned. I want that to be the first thing that’s mentioned, and I’m going to live the rest of my life proving that.”