A recent BBC interview with Andrew Scott went viral for all the wrong reasons, as a red carpet reporter at the BAFTA Awards prompted the “All of Us Strangers” star to walk away in discomfort after repeatedly asking him to speak about Barry Keoghan‘s nude scene in “Saltburn.” Given that Scott had no involvement in the Emerald Fennell film, many felt that pressing the openly gay actor to discuss Keoghan’s prosthetic genitalia was an inappropriate line of questioning.
In the clip, which can be watched below, the reporter asks a visibly uncomfortable Scott multiple questions about Keoghan’s nude scene, before admitting that his questions might have been “too much” when Scott walks away. The viral moment added fuel to the ongoing debate about the ethics of asking stars inappropriate questions in red carpet settings.
In a statement released on Saturday, the British news outlet attempted to offer some clarity behind the puzzling question and maintained that the reasoning for asking it was not improper.
“Our reporter began by asking Andrew Scott about the film he’d appeared in — ‘All of Us Strangers’ — which was nominated for six BAFTAs,” BBC News said in the statement. “He then moved on to ask about the popularity of Irish actors where Barry Keoghan, star of ‘Saltburn,’ was mentioned. ‘Saltburn’ is a film which has had cultural impact, with Barry Keoghan’s scene at the end gaining a lot of attention in particular — something the actor has addressed himself. Our question to Andrew Scott was meant to be a light hearted reflection of the discussion around the scene and was not intended to cause offense. ‘Saltburn’ writer and director, Emerald Fennell, and Sophie Ellis-Bextor, whose song ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ was used in the sequence, were also asked about the scene.”
After explaining the reporter’s thinking, the BBC spokesperson allowed that the question was ultimately a miscalculation.
“We do, however, accept that the specific question asked to Andrew Scott was misjudged,” the statement continued. “After speaking with Andrew on the carpet, our reporter acknowledged on air that his questioning may have gone too far and that he was sorry if this was the case.”
