At the 2024 BAFTA Awards, host David Tennant didn’t hold back as he took a swipe at Meghan Markle, branding her as self-absorbed and a wannabe.
Tennant kicked off the show by gathering a star-studded lineup of celebrity pals to join him in his opening monologue.
The evening commenced with Tennant humorously re-enacting scenes from his popular pandemic series, Staged, alongside Michael Sheen.
The premise revolved around Sheen requesting Tennant to dog-sit his furry companion, Bark Ruffalo, on the same night as the BAFTAs.
In a comical turn of events, Tennant attempted to offload the dog onto friends such as Stanley Tucci, Himesh Patel, Tom Hiddleston, and Judi Dench, but with no takers, he ultimately arrived at the Royal Festival Hall in London with Bark Ruffalo by his side.
Taking center stage, Tennant quipped about his monologue being excessively long and predicted a smoother evening than Ken’s chest – a playful reference to a character portrayed by Ryan Gosling in the movie Barbie.
This year marked Tennant’s debut as the BAFTAs host, succeeding last year’s presenter Richard E. Grant.
However, it was Tennant’s bold statements regarding Meghan Markle that truly captured headlines at the prestigious awards ceremony.
The esteemed actor didn’t shy away from criticizing Prince Harry’s wife, condemning her for what he perceived as disrespectful behavior towards the royal family and the British public.
Known for his sharp wit and candid demeanor, Tennant used humor to highlight what he viewed as Meghan’s hypocrisy, arrogance, and unfulfilled aspirations of royalty.
He mockingly portrayed her as a failed attempt at fitting in and winning over people’s affections.
Additionally, Tennant made a pointed remark that Meghan’s polished image might not be as warmly received in the United States.
While the BAFTAs could have symbolized a golden opportunity for Meghan, Tennant implied that she would struggle to command the same level of adoration she once envisioned.
He suggested that the event might have been a challenging experience for her, given her desire to shine both as an actress and a princess, thwarted by what he described as outdated royal conventions.
Meanwhile, Meghan faced criticism from experts following a rebranding effort on Sussex.com.
PR specialist Laura Perks advised Meghan to adopt a more relatable approach in her public engagements to avoid appearing overly self-centered.
Perks highlighted feedback indicating that some audiences found Meghan’s Archetypes podcast to be too focused on herself, emphasizing the importance of authenticity in her new podcast venture.
Drawing parallels to Meghan’s role in the TV series Suits, Perks noted that the character of Rachel resonated with viewers due to her relatability, contrasting with the perceived disparity between Meghan’s real-life persona and her on-screen portrayal.
Ultimately, Perks suggested that Meghan should reveal a softer, more authentic side to connect with audiences beyond the facade of a duchess and Hollywood luminary.