BBC viewers rushed to complain just minutes into the BAFTA TV Awards. Some of the biggest names on TV descended onto the red carpet as the 2026 ceremony aired on Sunday (May 10) night. This year's ceremony was hosted by actor and comedian Greg Davies, who opened the awards with a lengthy monologue. While this is a longstanding tradition for BAFTA presenters, many viewers were unimpressed and took to social media to voice their complaints.

One fumed: "@BAFTA Jesus just get on with it, don't need 15 minutes of comedy and chatter, viewers turning off in their thousands due to boredom #baftas." Another posted: "Greg Davies is no Ricky Gervais when it comes to hosting. Boring scripted long winded opening speech. #baftas."

A third echoed: "Is he going to waffle all night or we are going to get some awards done? #BAFTAS."

Another viewer begged the presenter to "get on with it", while someone else described the speech as "waffle".

An additional fan wrote: "If this opening monologue doesn't end soon there won't be time for any awards.#BAFTAS."

Others welcomed Davies' presence with open arms, with one writing: "Honestly having Greg Davies presenting it amazing!!!!"

"I love Greg Davies," another penned.

During his speech, Davies pointed out that he is once again "not personally nominated" for an award this year, however, fellow comedian Romesh Ranganathan is nominated twice in a category he is eligible for.

The Inbetweeners star joked: "Will I be punching the air if he loses? We will see. But this is not about the personal grievances that gnaw away at my soul."

Davies, 57, stepped in for Alan Cumming, who presented the BAFTA TV Awards in 2025 and the BAFTA Film Awards earlier this year.

He has now vowed never to host the awards again, following the controversial moment at the February ceremony in which an offensive racial slur was shouted from the audience.

The slur was shouted by John Davidson, who lives with severe Tourette's syndrome, when Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage presenting the award for Best Visual Effects.

Davidson later said he was "deeply mortified" by the incident, which sparked intense backlash after the BBC failed to censor the slur during the broadcast despite it airing on a two-hour delay.

Reflecting on the night, Cumming said: "It was bad, bad, bad, bad leadership. Bad people who weren't doing their jobs properly, who really had not prepared and let people down."

He added: "Right before it started, I said to my agent: 'Remind me, I never want to do this again'."