BBC removes David Tennant’s ‘Beetlejuice’ joke about Donald Trump from BAFTAs coverage
David Tennant's monologue at the 2025 BAFTA Film Awards was edited by the BBC, omitting jokes about Donald Trump.
The BBC reportedly removed parts of David Tennant’s monologue at the 2025 BAFTA Film Awards, particularly jokes aimed at U.S. President Donald Trump. The awards ceremony, which took place at London’s Royal Festival Hall on February 16, was pre-recorded two hours before airing.
Due to time constraints, the final broadcast was edited down from three hours to two, resulting in the removal of several segments, including some of Tennant’s quips about Trump, reports Variety.
BBC edits out some of David Tennant’s Trump jokes
One of the omitted jokes compared Trump to the supernatural character Beetlejuice. Tennant joked:
“Donald Trump—I’m worried. I’ve said his name three times. It’s like Beetlejuice—I’ve summoned him.”
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Another removed remark referenced The Apprentice, the film starring Sebastian Stan as a young Trump. Tennant joked that the former president had probably never watched the film because “it’s a 15 [referring to the UK film rating], and it’s not on Nickelodeon.”
Additionally, some of Tennant’s remarks about Conclave, including playful comparisons between the film’s setting and Pop Idol, and a joke about actor Stanley Tucci making the best Bellini cocktails, were also left out of the final broadcast.
Jokes that made it to air
Despite the edits, one of Tennant’s Trump-related jokes did make it into the final cut. The actor poked fun at Trump’s signature hairstyle, saying:
“It’s the boldest architecture in film this year, apart from Donald Trump’s hair in The Apprentice.”
Another joke that remained in the broadcast likened Trump to infamous villains, mentioning:
“Nosferatu, Hugh Grant in Heretic, and most chilling of all, [Wallace and Gromit antagonist] Feather McGraw.”
BBC’s explanation for the edits
In response to questions about the cuts, the BBC issued a statement explaining that the show’s broadcast requires editing due to time constraints. The network emphasised that the trims were not unusual, as the awards show typically needs to be condensed before airing.
While Tennant’s monologue sparked conversation, the BAFTAs itself was a night of big wins. Conclave and The Brutalist both secured four awards, with Adrien Brody winning Best Actor and Brady Corbet earning Best Director for The Brutalist. Meanwhile, Anora’s Mikey Madison surprised many by winning Best Actress, and Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain took home Best Original Screenplay.