I’ve partied at the BAFTAs with Ben Affleck – what it’s really like, from Kate & Wills’ whispers to what stars eat
THE BAFTAs is one of the glitziest nights in the showbiz calendar, when Hollywood comes to London.
As a showbiz journalist, I’ve been lucky enough to attend several times, rubbing shoulders with stars from George Clooney to Renée Zellweger and Tom Holland.
The last time I went, in 2023, as a guest of EE, which sponsors the awards, I was put up at the five-star Corinthia Hotel in Whitehall, which was perfect for pretending I was an A-lister myself.
Many of the celeb guests were also staying there, so I had my eyes peeled when I hit the drinks reception at 1.30pm. There, I was given the chance to take a pic with a real BAFTA, which I can confirm weighs a tonne.
It’s not the first time I’ve had a snap with the coveted award – Ben Affleck let me hold his Best Director gong at the 2013 awards dinner.
We chatted about how similar my Belfast accent and his Bostonian one were, while his then-wife Jennifer Garner tucked into his dessert.
Back at the Corinthia, I reluctantly gave the award back, then headed into the reception where I drank Taittinger champagne with stars including Sex Education’s Emma Mackey and Aimee Lou Wood. We were also treated to a performance by singer Tom Grennan.
At 3pm, it was time to take to the red carpet at the Royal Festival Hall, where the ceremony was taking place.
Over the years I’ve waited in cold, rain and even snow to grab the nominees for a chat, so it was lovely to stroll down the carpet alongside big names like Jamie Lee Curtis, Barry Keoghan and Carey Mulligan.
Inside, the building was packed with celebs wherever you looked, even spilling out on to the balcony, where I spotted Derry Girls pals Nicola Coughlan and Dylan Llewellyn deep in chat.
By 5.30pm, it was time to be seated inside the auditorium. My seat was on the balcony, which was the perfect spot to spy stars, including Paul Mescal, who was constantly making sure his parents were OK.
I also had a bird’s-eye view as BAFTA’s president, Prince William, and Kate Middleton took their seats at the front.
Kate stunned in a white gown with black gloves while William was in a deep chat with fellow Etonian Eddie Redmayne.
It was cute to watch the royal couple whispering to each other during the show.
The ceremony flew by and once it was over, everyone left their seats to mingle before dinner at 9pm.
Unlike in previous years, there was no alcohol served during the show, so everyone was keen for a glass of fizz and some food.
We had the choice of vegan butternut arancini with sage or confit chicken terrine with truffle and onion chutney, followed by chocolate mousse for dessert.
Event chef Tim Brennan had to build the kitchens from scratch to feed the 2,000 VIP guests as the venue didn’t have adequate facilities.
The dining room was an impressive mass of tables, with decorations inspired by the five Best Film nominees.
Unsurprisingly, most of the celebs don’t eat the meals and barely sit at their tables, instead preferring to catch up with other actors.
At the end of the night, I spotted several people taking home cardboard cutouts of Colin Farrell’s donkey, Jenny, from The Banshees Of Inisherin.
Most celebrities headed to various after-parties, with Netflix holding a bash at Chiltern Firehouse and Vogue, in partnership with Tiffany & Co, taking over members’ club Annabel’s.
Once my feet could take no more, I headed back to my plush hotel room and tucked myself into the biggest bed I’ve ever seen.
If there was an award for partying, I’d have certainly taken home the prize.