It is an event that has, in years past, dazzled A-listers with extravagant tablescapes, theatrical lighting and an unmistakable sense of occasion.
But inside London’s Royal Festival Hall at this year’s Bafta post-ceremony dinner – meant to close the British film industry’s grandest celebration in a blaze of champagne and star-studded glamour – the room was hardly fizzing with excitement.
The ballroom, as usual, was a cocktail of A-list actors, rising nominees and industry heavyweights. And yet for all the star power present, the atmosphere never quite came alive.
On Sunday night chairs stood empty and tables were only half-filled, with plates of untouched food left cooling as guests drifted rather than dined.
‘They’re cutting costs,’ one guest told me. ‘Usually, the tables are spectacular, themed around the nominated films with huge, grand centrepieces. It normally looks incredible, but this year it’s just fake foliage and tacky lamps.’
Indeed, despite the giant Bafta-engraved bottles of Taittinger flowing freely and miniature bottles of Don Julio tequila placed at every setting, the evening simply didn’t match the spark of previous years.
Actress Emma Stone was gone before most guests had finished their main courses
Best leading actress nominee Kate Hudson attended a BAFTA after-party in Mayfair
Even the conversations were muted. Guests seemed restless and the mood – while polite – lacked the convivial buzz expected after the biggest night in British film.
Bafta had again leaned heavily into ‘sustainability’ this year, commissioning caterers Caper & Berry to deliver a largely plant-based menu designed, organisers said, to be ‘both indulgent and inclusive’.
Vegan canapes, a plant-based starter and a meat-free main option formed the backbone of the evening, with guests encouraged to enjoy what was described as a ‘social dining experience’. That seemed to be the first mistake.
The evening began with roasted maple pumpkin rolls and mushroom toast adorned with crispy sage, followed by a ‘social starter’ – celeriac and apple mille-feuille served with Cornish sea salt crisp breads, designed to be eaten while guests mingled rather than sitting down formally.
A change in lighting signalled the main course, where guests chose between truffle chicken with mushroom pithivier and butter-roasted potatoes, or a vegan caramelised leek and pumpkin pithivier with creamed potato and heritage carrot.
‘The food was really bad, I only ate a few bites,’ one guest told me. ‘Compared to other years, it’s really gone downhill.’
Another added: ‘The portions were tiny! You can’t believe they’d serve this to some of Hollywood’s finest.’
Indeed, before the first course had properly landed, some of the evening’s biggest names were already slipping away. Best leading actor nominee Timothee Chalamet – who had entered the night as one of the most hotly tipped – arrived at the dinner with his girlfriend Kylie Jenner, and they were photographed during the starter.
Irish star Paul Mescal – pipped for the supporting actor gong by Sean Penn – and his singer girlfriend, Gracie Abrams, were also present at the dinner
Best leading actor nominee Timothee Chalamet – who had entered the night as one of the most hotly tipped – arrived at the dinner with his girlfriend Kylie Jenner
But their presence was fleeting and in a short time, they had quietly disappeared from the venue.
Chalamet’s film, Marty Supreme, despite entering the night with 11 nominations, left empty-handed, leaving the actor with little to celebrate – and little reason, perhaps, to linger.
The pair were expected to attend an after-party at London’s private members’ club Tramp, though they were said to have skipped that too.
And they were far from alone in making a swift exit. Among those I saw at the dinner – but gone before most guests had finished their main courses – were Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Hudson, Emma Stone and Kirsten Dunst.
One well-placed source told me that DiCaprio had slipped off to an ultra-private gathering he was hosting elsewhere in London.
Irish star Paul Mescal – pipped for the supporting actor gong by Sean Penn – and his singer girlfriend, Gracie Abrams, were also present, if briefly.
I watched as the couple embraced his Hamnet co-star Jessie Buckley at their table in a moment of genuine affection that drew smiles from those nearby.
But, less than an hour later, Ms Buckley, clutching her newly won leading actress Bafta, was spotted arriving at the Universal and Focus Features after-party at the private members’ club Oswald’s – one of Mayfair’s most discreet and tightly guarded celebrity haunts. She was later joined by her fellow nominees Kate Hudson and Emma Stone.
Jessie Buckley, clutching her newly won leading actress Bafta, was spotted arriving at the Universal and Focus Features after-party
Joe Alwyn, who plays Bartholomew Hathaway in Hamnet, had vanished from the dinner by the time dessert arrived
Taylor Swift’s ex Joe Alwyn, seated beside Hamnet actress Emily Watson for much of the dinner, had also vanished by the time dessert arrived.
They had the right idea. For dessert – described in the programme as being served ‘cinema-style’ – felt like an underwhelming end to an A-list evening. At around 9pm, waiters began weaving between tables carrying paper tubs filled with popcorn-topped chocolate mousse sundaes alongside lemon and white chocolate meringues and chocolate and black forest gateau ganache – the garnish being a playful nod, organisers suggested, to the film industry itself.
But the reaction was far from glowing. ‘I tried them all because no one was eating them,’ one guest told me. ‘They did not taste nice. And so tacky in paper cups!’ Another quipped: ‘This must be the most glamorous paper cup I’ve ever eaten from.’
Nearby, someone gestured towards the half-filled glasses surrounding us and said: ‘Look how much alcohol is still on the table. Just bottles and bottles of booze. Most sober Bafta dinner ever.’
By this point, the exodus was unmistakable. The contrast with the ceremony earlier in the evening could not have been sharper.
The atmosphere was electric. There were gasps when Hull-born actor Robert Aramayo beat Hollywood heavyweights, including DiCaprio and Chalamet, to win leading actor, while action thriller One Battle After Another dominated the night with six awards, including best film and best director.
That exhilaration was nowhere to be seen as the evening wound to an end.
By the time dessert had finished being served, not a single A-lister remained in the room – and a lingering question was whispered among those that remained.
Is the post-Bafta gala still the most anticipated event in British film, or have the stars decided the real party is somewhere else?
