Bafta confirms honour for Matthew Perry after backlash

Bafta has confirmed Friends actor Matthew Perry will be honoured at the organisation’s TV awards in May after he was not featured in the in memoriam segment at Sunday’s film awards ceremony.

Ted Lasso actress Hannah Waddingham performed a pared down version of Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time in Sunday’s in memoriam segment, which featured tributes to stars including Jane Birkin, Glynis Johns, Carl Weathers, Julian Sands, Tom Wilkinson and Tina Turner.

Also featured were Harry Belafonte, Alan Arkin and Sir Michael Gambon.

However, Perry, who died in October at the age of 54, was not mentioned.

In response to a user on X, formerly Twitter, questioning Perry’s absence from the segment, the organisation’s official account said: “Matthew Perry will be remembered in this year’s TV Awards ceremony.”

The account also linked to the in memoriam section on the Bafta website, which said Perry’s Friends fame “brought film opportunities, including Fools Rush In (1997), The Whole Nine Yards (2000) and its sequel, The Whole Ten Yards (2004), and 17 Again (2009)”.

Bafta has also confirmed TV director Roy Battersby will be honoured at the May ceremony after his actress stepdaughter Kate Beckinsale publicly urged for his inclusion.

Last month, Underworld film series star Beckinsale said she was sent an email from the TV and film awards saying that he will be considered for being part of the in memoriam segment for the TV awards ceremony, but it was not guaranteed.

The TV Baftas will be held in May. / Credit: PA

Director Battersby, who won the Alan Clarke Award for outstanding contribution to television in 1996, died in January aged 87.

He was known for his work on crime series Cracker, Between The Lines, Inspector Morse and A Touch Of Frost and Tim Roth-starring BBC drama King Of The Ghetto.

A Bafta spokesman called Battersby “a renowned and trailblazing director”, and said the awards show was “sorry to hear” of his death.

The statement added: “We confirm he will be honoured in our forthcoming Bafta television awards in May, and on the in memoriam section on our website.”

Sunday’s film ceremony saw Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer named best film and sweep the awards for best director, best actor and best supporting actor.