Fry panned for 'joke' at Bafta awards

16 February 2016 - 02:09 By Leonie Wagner

Until now, Golden Globes host Ricky Gervais was unofficially the most controversial awards master of ceremonies. But he has been outdone by Stephen Fry, who hosted the British Academy Film and Television Awards over the weekend. The British actor quickly learnt that personal jokes have no place at awards ceremonies.Fry has deleted his Twitter account following criticism and outrage over comments he made during the ceremony.In his latest stint, the actor joked about Jenny Beavan's appearance, after she got the nod for best costume design for her work on Mad Max: Fury Road. When Beavan left the stage, Fry said that "only one of the great cinematic costume designers would come to an awards ceremony dressed as a bag lady".Despite reminding everyone that he and Beavan were "close friends" some still felt the joke was distasteful. He then responded on Twitter, saying: "Will all you sanctimonious f***ers f**k the f**k off. Jenny Beavan is a friend and joshing is legitimate. Christ I want to leave the planet."The controversy almost overshadowed the triumph of Leonardo DiCaprio, who walked away with the best actor award for his role in The Revenant. The film also got the nod for best film, cinematography, best director and sound. Mad Max: Fury Road earned four awards, for make-up, production design, editing and costume design...

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