David Tennant’s Donald Trump-Beetlejuice Joke Cut From BBC BAFTAs Broadcast – Variety
By
Ellise Shafer
Some of David Tennant’s Donald Trump jokes during his BAFTAs monologue ended up on the BBC’s cutting room floor.
Several of the host’s quips — one of which compared the U.S. president to Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice character — were cut from the BBC’s broadcast of the British awards ceremony on Sunday night, which is pre-recorded two hours before it airs in the U.K. The event ran for three hours and is typically cut down to two, so it’s not out of the ordinary for certain bits to be axed.
Though Tennant’s bit about Trump in relation to “The Brutalist” was left in (“It’s the boldest architecture in film this year, apart from Donald Trump’s hair in ‘The Apprentice’”), it cuts off there and does not include the following: “Donald Trump, he says he hasn’t seen ‘The Apprentice’ because it’s a 15 [referring to the U.K. film rating]. It’s not on Nickelodeon. Donald Trump … I’m worried. I’ve said his name three times. It’s like ‘Beetlejuice’ — I’ve summoned him.”
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Instead, Tennant’s monologue segues from Trump’s hair to “talking of villains…,” before the host mentioned “Nosferatu” and “Heretic.” Additionally, a few of the host’s “Conclave” jokes — pointing out its similarities to “Pop Idol” and saying that Stanley Tucci, who plays Cardinal Bellini, makes the best bellini drinks — also didn’t make it in the broadcast.
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In a statement to Variety, the BBC said: “The nature of the show is that it’s broadcast with a short delay, and edits have to be made due to time constraints.”
The 2025 BAFTA Film Awards saw “Conclave” take home four wins in total, including best film, tying with “The Brutalist,” which received awards for director Brady Corbet and lead actor Adrien Brody. Surprises included Mikey Madison of “Anora” winning in the lead actress race, and Jesse Eisenberg’s “A Real Pain” scoring best original screenplay. See the full list of winners here.
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