BAFTAs 2020: 10 Ups & 5 Downs

2. The Terrible Cringe Comedy

It was painfully apparent that this year's BAFTAs was trying to introduce more of the skit-style humour that characterises its state-side equivalents, namely the Golden Globes and the Oscars.

It all started with an embarrassing opening backstage gag in which comedian Asim Chaudhry​ "auditioned" Sam Mendes and Jojo Rabbit's Roman Griffin Davis for the chance to introduce Graham Norton to the audience.

Later on, a clumsy back-and-forth between Taika Waititi and Davis fell totally flat, but perhaps the worst to come was Sex Education stars Asa Butterfield and Gillian Anderson committing to a toe-curlingly awkward gag about imagining the audience naked.

Throw in a heap of lazy jokes about the Royals and you've got a cringe stew going. Though there were some intermittent laughs throughout the night, whoever wrote the lion's share of the gags needed to try harder - or better yet, not at all.