BAFTAs 2021: 8 Ups & 7 Downs

5. The TERRIBLE Virtual Audience

Though the ceremony mostly went off without a hitch, there was one production decision that left many voicing their displeasure on social media - piping in applause and laughter from a "virtual audience."

While BAFTA reportedly had 1,000 virtual audience members who contributed their voices to the crowd ambiance, the effect sounded unmistakably like the sort of canned audience reactions you'd expect to hear in a '70s TV sitcom.

Considering how uproarious the laughter was for some of the show's less-than-hilarious jokes, and that the show aired on a delay of several hours, it's clear that some post-production trickery was involved.

For an otherwise classy and well-produced broadcast, this was a cheesy, pointless affectation.