BAFTAs host Sue Perkins blasts TV industry sexism

The former 'Great British Bake Off' presenter took over hosting duties from Graham Norton at last night's awards ceremony (May 14)

Sue Perkins took aim at sexism in the television industry while hosting the BAFTAs last night (May 14).

The former Great British Bake Off presenter took over hosting duties from Graham Norton at the Royal Festival Hall in London yesterday, with the chat show host yet to return from Kiev following Saturday’s Eurovision Song Contest.

Perkins frequently took issue with sexism in the industry during her presenting stint, opening with a reference to how rare it was to see a woman hosting such a high-profile awards ceremony.

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“I know what you’re thinking. Not another woman hosting an awards show, when will it end?” she said. “I find it a little like Halley’s Comet, just a little less frequent.”

Later in the evening, Perkins introduced the award for male performance in a comedy programme by saying that it answered “the age old question: are men funny?”, while she also joked that the main criterion for those nominated in the Best Actress category was to be paid “just under the same amount as the leading actor.”

Presenting the final award of the night to Joanna Lumley, Perkins said that she and her Absolutely Fabulous partner Jennifer Saunders proved that “anyone who says there aren’t roles for women of a certain age are wrong, as long as they write them themselves.”

 

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