Kate Beckinsale “sickened” by Baftas after “cold” response to honouring stepfather
Actor Kate Beckinsale has shared that she felt “sickened” after receiving a “cold” email from the Baftas saying that they “could not guarantee” that her late stepfather would be included in the “In Memoriam” segment of the ceremony.
Beckinsale’s stepfather, Roy Battersby, an accomplished television director known for his work on shows like Cracker, A Touch of Frost, King of the Ghetto, and Inspector Morse, was married to Beckinsale’s mother, Judy Loe.
Upon the announcement of this year’s Baftas nominations, Beckinsale shared on Instagram that the organisation couldn’t guarantee his inclusion in the memorial montage honouring those who passed away in the past year. Battersby passed away on January 10th, 2024 at the age of 87.
Taking to Instagram, Beckinsale wrote: “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.”
Continuing, she added: “If his work, his life, his craft, his mentoring, his heart and soul are worthy of a mention that he is gone. That has broken my heart all over again. I am paralysed, sick and sickened and I will honour him and his work every day of my life.”
In a follow-up post, Beckinsale said that she had not heard from Bafta, whether to confirm her stepfather’s inclusion in their tributes or to apologise. The only apology she said she had received was through her publicist, who had spoken to the CEO of Bafta.
In the post, she said: “If BAFTA truly is an organisation that celebrates those who work in this industry, I want an assurance that this is the last time they send the family of ANY of its workers an email with such a dismissive and cold tone , whether ultimately the person in question is able to be included in the segment or not.”
She added: “And if not, the email needs to be doubly compassionate and celebratory of their contribution.”
The complete list of Bafta nominations were announced on January 18, 2024, with Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer leading with a total of 13.
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