BBC defends “homophobic” viral interview with gay actor Andrew Scott

BBC News has responded to backlash to its recent red-carpet interview with out actor Andrew Scott, saying that it had intended for its reporter’s questions about fellow Irish actor Barry Keoghan’s Saltburn nude scene to be “light hearted.”

A clip from the interview at the 77th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) on February 18 went viral last week, with many social media commenters describing BBC correspondent Colin Paterson’s line of questioning as inappropriate and borderline homophobic, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Related: Andrew Scott says acting “emancipated” him from shame about being gay

“A lot of people within the industry were queer, so I was surrounded by them.”

In the clip, Paterson asked Scott, whose film All of Us Strangers was nominated for six BAFTA awards, whether he knew Keoghan well — both actors are Irish. Scott said that he did, and Paterson proceeded to ask about Scott’s reaction to Keoghan’s nude dance at the end of Saltburn. A visibly uncomfortable Scott simply replied that he didn’t want to spoil the film for anyone who hadn’t seen it yet.

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“There was a lot of talk about prosthetics. How well do you know him?” Paterson persisted, perhaps suggesting that Scott would have been able to tell whether Keoghan was sporting a prosthetic in the scene. Scott ended the interview, walking away without responding to the question.

This is frankly disgusting. Andrew Scott is there to support his multiple nominated film and THIS is what you ask? Then when he looks visibly uncomfortable the guy carried on. Truly horrid. #BAFTAs pic.twitter.com/42VEoBXRQi

— Alex Gilston