Joanna Lumley's 'train wreck' BAFTA jokes are getting brutally panned
Joanna Lumley may be something of a national treasure, but whoever was writing her jokes as she presented last night’s BAFTAs truly and wholly let the side down.
Things started badly for the Ab-Fab star, who was presenting the ceremony for the second time, and gradually went downhill from there.
She took a dig at the Oscars not having a host (Kevin Hart pulled out due to some homophobic jokes in his past stand up sets), crediting the fact that she’s ‘not on Twitter’ for still having job.
It seemed to imply that Hart’s downfall had something to do with Twitter. Which it didn’t, really. So far so good!
An ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS opening from the utterly ravishing Joanna Lumley.#BAFTAs #BAFTA pic.twitter.com/TndDRjDyIA
— BBC One (@BBCOne) February 10, 2019
She went on to quip about The Favourite being handily entitled for awards season, Claire Foy needing to take a ‘small step and one giant leap’ to reach the stage (she’s in space drama First Man), and the sequel to The Wife being called ‘The Second Wife’ (does that even count as a joke, strictly speaking?).
Steve Coogan was seen visibly flinching as the gags landed with thump and after thump.
I think we’re all with Coogan on that opening monologue #BAFTA pic.twitter.com/RcAgyKWytB
— Alice Jones (@alicevjones) February 10, 2019
But the most notably terrible gag, however, came as she name-checked Spike Lee’s latest movie BlacKkKlansman.
“It’s an incredible film,” she said. “It’s already won many awards. If I’m honest I’m surprised it did so well at the Klannes film festival.”
Like a grossly misjudged gag found in a cracker, the audience at the Royal Albert Hall responded with a stoney, embarrassed silence. The same could not be said for Twitter.
Did someone really just get Joanna Lumley to make a KKK joke? please promise me that the writer of this opening speech will never, ever win a “best writer” #BAFTA 🤦🏼♀️
— Claire Sutton 💁🏼👜👩🏼💻👸🏼 (@Claire_Advanced) February 10, 2019
I love Joanna Lumley but this is embarrassing who wrote these diabolical jokes I feel for her #BAFTAs
— Arlene Woollard (@Arlene_HWycombe) February 10, 2019
Whoever is making Joanna Lumley do these jokes please stop immediately & apologise to all concerned #Bafta2019
— tom jamieson (@jamiesont) February 10, 2019
Gave up watching the #bafta ceremony. Whoever wrote Joanna Lumley's speech seems to have completely misjudged the audience. From one excruciating joke to the next; she's so much better than that.
— Lorraine (@MrsLSears) February 10, 2019
Unsurprisingly, Piers Morgan weighed into the melee too, calling the performance ‘a train wreck’.
Jeez, who wrote these jokes for Joanna Lumley? This is a train wreck. 🙈 #BAFTAs2019
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 10, 2019
Can somebody at #BAFTAs2019 make us laugh? A good joke, saying something really stupid, offending the royals, tumbling off the stage – anything. This is tortuous.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 10, 2019
For once, he has a point.
Come back, Stephen Fry. All is forgiven.
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