BAFTA Producer Says Twitter Criticism of Ariana DeBose's Opening Number Is 'Incredibly Unfair'

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Ariana DeBose faced criticism on social media following her performance at the 2023 BAFTA Awards — but a producer of the awards show said that her opening number was celebrated by members in the audience on Sunday.

"I think it's incredibly unfair, to be frank," said producer Nick Bullen while speaking to Variety about the musical performance. A group of dancers performed alongside the Oscar winner, 32, as she sang "Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves" and "We Are Family" and also rapped about the night's female nominees.

"The songs she was singing are very familiar songs, the room was clapping, and people were sort of dancing to the music," he told the publication. "That rap section in the middle, mentioning the women in the room, was because it's been a great year for women in film, and we wanted to celebrate that."

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During the number, which came after host Richard E. Grant's opening monologue, DeBose rapped in part: "Angela Bassett did the thing, Viola Davis my 'Woman King,' Blanchett Cate you're a genius, Jamie Lee you are all of us," as the camera panned to members of the crowd showing an array of different expressions.

Bullen explained that the West Side Story star "worked with a great musical director and choreographer" and believes that there were mixed reactions because "a lot of people don't like change."

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"There's a view that the BAFTAs have to be this slightly stiff, traditional British, middle-England messaging," said Bullen, adding that "American awards shows have much more razzmatazz, much more showbiz and perhaps a broader range of people being involved."

He continued: "We felt we're not about revolution, we're about evolution. Let's just evolve, let's just move forward with some gentle changes that start to lay out the stall of what this show should be and where we should be with it."

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While DeBose hasn't spoken out about the criticism that followed Sunday's awards ceremony — and her Twitter account appears to be deactivated — she previously addressed social media trolls after her Saturday Night Live hosting gig last year.

"You try hosting SNL, reading cue cards with slight dyslexia and then get back to me, brah," the Hamilton actress responded to a user who referred to DeBose accidentally saying the wrong year during her opening monologue.

"Maybe get someone who isn't on level with Joe Biden at reading since that's a qualification to acting… reading lines," the Instagram user continued, to which DeBose wrote, "Cool. You're a troll. Bye."