Kate Beckinsale is slamming Bafta for its “cold” approach to an “in memoriam” segment at an upcoming awards ceremony.
In an Instagram post on Wednesday, the actor called out the British media association for how it handled an inquiry about stepfather Roy Battersby – who died last week at the age of 87 – being included in its 2024 tributes.
“Today Bafta told me they ‘could not guarantee’ he would be included in their ‘in memoriam’ tribute, to honour the industry members we have lost,” Kate wrote alongside a photo of Roy holding the academy’s Alan Clarke Award, which he received in 1996 for his outstanding contribution to television.
“So a man dead less than a week somehow has to audition in front of a committee after a decades long career (in which he has been awarded from said organisation the highest accolade they have) to decide IF his death is worth mentioning. If his work, his life, his craft, his mentoring, his heart and soul are worthy of a mention that he is gone.”
She added: “That ... has broken my heart all over again,” explaining that she felt “paralysed” and “sickened” by Bafta’s response.
“I will honour him and his work every day of my life,” she added.
Kate also said that her mother, actor Judy Loe, “has been gracefully and quietly dealing with stage four cancer for the last six years and just lost her husband so thanks again, Bafta, for your horribly cold email”.
In a statement following Kate’s post, Bafta clarified its stance on the tribute spot for Roy Battersby, who directed episodes of TV series such as Cracker, Inspector Morse and A Touch Of Frost.
It assured people that Roy would be remembered by the association, saying: “We were very sorry to hear of Roy Battersby’s recent passing - he was a renowned and trailblazing director.”
The statement went on: “We confirm he will be honoured in our forthcoming Bafta Television Awards in May, and on the In Memoriam Section on our website.”
The association’s prestigious British Academy Film Awards, commonly referred to as the Baftas, are scheduled to take place on 18 February. A separate awards ceremony celebrating achievements in television takes place in the spring.