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This year the BAFTA Film Awards are pulling out all the stops, with the star-studded ceremony set to be one of the most well attended by nominees on-record.

Honouring the best work in film, both in the UK and internationally, A-list stars from around the globe will compete to take home a distinctive gold statuette. But how does it feel to get a nod?

From “too insane” to “creative intimidation” and “deep gratification”, four BAFTA nominees tell Sky News about the rollercoaster ride to being nominated on the British film industry’s biggest night.

Martin McDonagh

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‘I’m half happy when we lose’: Banshees Of Inisherin director tells Sky News about awards show nerves

The Oscar-winning writer-director behind previous hits including Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and In Bruges, already has a shelf full of BAFTAs at home – four to be precise.

Now his Irish tragicomedy Banshees Of Inisherin – which tells the tale of male friendship gone sour – may mean he has to put up a second shelf, with the movie up for a score of BAFTAs.

The stars of the film – Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Barry Keoghan and Kerry Condon are all up for acting awards on the night too.

Embodying the phrase ‘Hope for the best and be prepared for the worst’, McDonagh told Sky News: “I’m bad at public speaking, so I kind of I’m half happy when we lose so I don’t have to go up there.

“But no, it’s better to be in the mix than not to be in the mix. So, it’s weirdly both exciting and scary at the same time.”

Michelle Yeoh

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Best Actress BAFTA nominee Michelle Yeoh on Hollywood’s attitude to her latest film

She first gained international attention as a Bond girl in Tomorrow Never Dies, and got her first BAFTA nomination for her starring role in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – but it’s Everything Everywhere All At Once that could nab Michelle Yeoh her first BAFTA.

The Malaysian actress plays Evelyn Wang, a middle-aged laundrette owner transported into ever more baffling parallel worlds, in the multiverse madness that is Everything Everywhere. Like Banshees it’s scored ten nods.

This touching indie sci-fi has been a word-of-mouth and critically acclaimed hit, and is directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert – collectively known as the Daniels (they are up for a best director BAFTA too).

An unexpected lead contender in this year’s awards season, and far from normal awards-season fare, perhaps one of the movie’s lead characters – Waymond Wang as Alpha Waymond – puts it best when he tells Evelyn: “Every rejection, every disappointment has led you to this moment. Don’t let anything distract you from it.”

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Ke Huy Quan, who plays Waymond, is also up for a BAFTA, as is co-star Jamie Lee Curtis.

Yeoh told Sky News: “Normally people would go like, this is too insane. But our world is chaotic and insane and unpredictable, and we have to learn to embrace whatever comes our way.”

Despite leaning into it, she also revealed she is really just like the rest of us, admitting: “I don’t like the pressure. This is my first time [being nominated at lots of big awards].

“So, I don’t understand how intense it is. Just getting the nominations was terrifying… Because it felt like a big part of the world was wanting it so bad.”

Bill Nighy

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Bill Nighy tells Sky News about his ‘deeply gratifying’ experience with new film Living

One of Britain’s most popular actors, with credits including Love Actually and Harry Potter, Bill Nighy already has two BAFTAs to his name – and now he’s up for another one.

The 73-year-old star plays buttoned-up civil servant Mr Williams, who works joylessly in the county public works department, until a terminal diagnosis inspires him to make a change.

Living is The Kazuo Ishiguro-scripted remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1952 film Ikiru – which quite literally reminds us to make the most of life – is up for three BAFTAs in total.

Nighy told Sky News: “People really respond to the movie and they’re inspired by it, which is what it was designed to do. So, it’s deeply, deeply gratifying.”

Asked if he was enjoying his awards buzz, he took a melancholy note from the character that earned him the nod, saying: “As much as I’m able to enjoy anything, I have a negative tendency which I have to really kind of combat.

“But no, seriously, yeah, it’s absolutely marvellous.”

Brendan Fraser

One of the biggest stars of the 1990s, Canadian-American actor Brendan Fraser’s return to Hollywood after nearly 20 years out of the limelight has been nothing short of spectacular.

The 53-year-old’s comeback even inspired its own definition – the “Bren-aissance”.

His warmly received re-entry into showbiz has earned him nods aplenty, including a BAFTA nomination for best lead actor.

Directed by Black Swan filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, The Whale tells the story of an extremely obese man trying to reconnect with his daughter. The movie has four BAFTA nominations in total.

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Fraser told Sky News: “Of the award stuff. It’s new to me, but we’re all frothy and happy and giddy and happy for this with fingers crossed and best fondest hopes for success.

“But who knows what the result is going to be. But I’m confident, I think that we’ve got a shot at making it to the finish line.”

As for whether he thought the film would be a success when he first took it on, he said: “I didn’t have any doubts… If anything, I had enthusiasm and some hope and some humility and a little bit of creative intimidation.”

The BAFTA Film Awards take place on Sunday 19 February at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London.

The ceremony will be broadcast from 7pm on BBC One and iPlayer. Sky News will be covering live from the red carpet beforehand and throughout the ceremony before the programme itself begins.

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Glastonbury 2025 line-up revealed

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Glastonbury 2025 line-up revealed

The 1975 and Olivia Rodrigo will be among the stars headlining Glastonbury Festival this year, it has been announced.

Glastonbury organisers have revealed the line-up for this summer’s event, taking place between 25 June and 29 June, after months of speculation.

The 1975 will take to the iconic Pyramid Stage on the Friday to headline, then Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young will perform on Saturday and Olivia Rodrigo on the Sunday.

Other big names performing include British pop sensation Charli XCX, rapper Loyle Carner electronic group The Prodigy.

The announcement comes after Sir Rod Stewart was booked for the Sunday teatime legend slot and Young was confirmed as a headliner earlier this year.

Young’s announcement in January came amid some confusion, as he had days before told fans he was pulling out of the festival because the BBC’s involvement was a “corporate turn-off”.

The Canadian singer-songwriter later said this decision was down to “an error in the information I received”.

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The 1975 will be headlining for the first time, having made their Glastonbury debut in 2014.

The Cheshire band, known for hits such as Somebody Else and Chocolate, have regularly made headlines due to the antics of frontman Matty Healy.

Glastonbury, which takes place at Worthy Farm in Somerset in the summer, has worked closely with the BBC – its exclusive broadcast partner – since 1997.

Neil Young performing at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival last May. Pic: Amy Harris/Invision/AP
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Neil Young performing at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival last May. Pic: Amy Harris/Invision/AP

Appetite for the esteemed festival saw standard tickets sell out in 35 minutes in November.

They cost £373.50 plus a £5 booking fee, up £18.50 from the price from the 2024 festival, and were sold exclusively through the See Tickets website.

The date for the resale – where tickets not fully paid for are put back up for purchase – is set for some time in spring.

The headliners last summer on the iconic Pyramid Stage were Dua Lipa, SZA and Coldplay, who made history as the first act to headline the festival five times.

2026 is likely to be a year off for Glastonbury, with the festival traditionally taking place four out of every five years, and the fifth year reserved for rehabilitation of the land.

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Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX BRIT Awards appearances spark hundreds of Ofcom complaints

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Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX BRIT Awards appearances spark hundreds of Ofcom complaints

Ofcom received 825 complaints over the Brit Awards, with the majority relating to Sabrina Carpenter’s raunchy performance and Charli XCX’s outfit, the media watchdog says.

US pop star Carpenter, 25, sported a red sparkly military-style blazer dress for her performance at the awards show on Saturday night, paired with stockings and suspenders for a rendition of Espresso.

The song was mixed with a Rule Britannia mash-up, as dancers in military parade dress followed her.

She then switched to a red sparkly bra and shorts for her next song, Bad Chem, which she performed alongside dancers in bras and shorts while sitting suggestively on a large bed.

Sabrina Carpenter opened proceedings. Pic: Reuters
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Sabrina Carpenter performing her second song. Pic: Reuters

Carpenter later received the global success award at the ceremony, and was also nominated in the international artist and international song of the year categories.

But much of the buzz on social media surrounded her performance, which took place before the 9pm watershed.

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Highlights from the 2025 BRIT Awards

Ofcom said some of the complaints were also aimed at British pop sensation Charli XCX, who dominated the night by winning five awards, including album of the year.

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Some viewers took issue with her outfit – a black see-through dress.

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Why is Noel Clarke suing The Guardian?

The singer addressed the concerns during her acceptance speech for artist of the year, saying: “I heard that ITV were complaining about my nipples. I feel like we’re in the era of ‘free the nipple’ though, right?”

Carpenter paid tribute to the UK in her acceptance speech, saying: “The Brits have given me this award, and this feels like such an insane honour in a very primarily tea-drinking country… you really understood my dry sense of humour because your sense of humour is so, so dry. So I love y’all more than you even understand.”

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Why is Noel Clarke suing The Guardian?

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Why is Noel Clarke suing The Guardian?

Actor Noel Clarke begins his High Court libel case against The Guardian’s publisher today.

Clarke, 49, is suing Guardian News and Media (GNM) over a series of articles it published about him in April 2021.

They were based on the claims of 20 women Clarke knew “in a professional capacity” who allege his behaviour towards them amounted to sexual misconduct.

Clarke, known for his roles in the Kidulthood trilogy and Dr Who, “vehemently” denies “any sexual misconduct or wrongdoing”.

What will the trial cover?

Clarke is suing GNM for libel, sometimes also referred to as defamation.

It’s a civil tort – not a criminal offence – defined as false written statements that have damaged the person’s reputation. This means Clarke can seek redress or damages but no one will face charges or prison.

Clarke claims the articles The Guardian published in 2021 altered public opinion of him, damaged his reputation, and lost him work.

He said after the allegations emerged: “In a 20-year career, I have put inclusivity and diversity at the forefront of my work and never had a complaint made against me.

“If anyone who has worked with me has ever felt uncomfortable or disrespected, I sincerely apologise. I vehemently deny any sexual misconduct or wrongdoing and intend to defend myself against these false allegations.”

The Guardian is defending the claim on the basis of truth and public interest.

At a premiere in London in 2013. Pic: PA
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At a premiere in London in 2013. Pic: PA

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It said in its statement: “Our reporting on Noel Clarke in 2021 was based on the accounts of 20 brave women. After we published our first article, more women came forward.

“At trial, 32 witnesses are set to testify against Mr Clarke under oath. We look forward to a judge hearing the evidence.”

The trial will only focus on liability – not the amount of damages to be paid if Clarke is successful.

The actor tried and failed to get the case struck out in January, with his legal team saying it had “overwhelming evidence” of “perversion of the course of justice”.

His lawyers told the High Court three of the journalists involved in the articles had “deliberately and permanently” deleted messages, which meant he could not get a fair trial.

Lawyers for GNM told the court there was “no adequate evidential basis” for Clarke’s application for a strike out and said it sought “to smear Guardian journalists and editors without any proper justification”.

The trial, which will be presided over by judge Mrs Justice Steyn, is expected to last between four and six weeks.

EDITORIAL USE ONLY File photo dated 20/07/15 of actor Noel Clarke. Police have confirmed that no criminal investigation will be launched after sexual offence allegations were made against actor Noel Clarke. Issue date: Sunday March 27, 2022.
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In July 2015. Pic: PA

What has happened since the articles were published?

A month before the articles about him were published in April 2021, Clarke received BAFTA’s outstanding contribution to British cinema award.

However, once the allegations against him emerged, he was suspended by the organisation and the prize rescinded.

His management and production company 42M&P told Sky News they were no longer representing him and Sky cancelled its TV show Bulletproof, starring Clarke and Top Boy actor Ashley Walters as the lead roles.

ITV also decided to pull the finale of another of his dramas, Viewpoint, following the Guardian articles.

The Met Police looked into the allegations against Clarke for any potential criminal wrongdoing, but in March 2022 announced they “did not meet the threshold for criminal investigation”.

Clarke filed the libel claim the following month and has attended several of the preliminary hearings in person.

He says he has faced a “trial by media” – and that the ordeal has left him suicidal and in need of professional help.

At the UK premiere of Kidulthood in London's Leicester Square in 2006. Pic: PA
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At the UK premiere of Kidulthood in London’s Leicester Square in 2006. Pic: PA

‘Rising star’

Clarke made his TV debut in a revived version of Auf Wiedersehen Pet in 2002.

Soon after he played Mickey Smith in Dr Who and Kwame in the six-part Channel 4 series Metrosexuality.

He wrote and starred in the film trilogy Kidulthood, Adulthood, and Brotherhood, which were based in west London, where he grew up, and explored the lives of a group of teenagers given time off school after a bullied classmate takes their own life.

It was a box office success and eventually saw Clarke given BAFTA’s rising star prize in 2009.

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.

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