Catherine O’Hara’s Omission from BAFTA In Memoriam Sparks Outrage
At the recent BAFTA ceremony, a significant controversy arose when late actress Catherine O’Hara was notably absent from the In Memoriam segment. This omission left many fans and fellow celebrities deeply upset, especially given her contributions to the entertainment industry.
Catherine O’Hara, known for her iconic role in Home Alone, passed away in January at the age of 71 after a battle with cancer. Her co-star, Seth Rogen, paid tribute to her during his acceptance speech for an award, but she was not included in the official In Memoriam segment. The segment featured other notable figures such as Eric Dane from Grey’s Anatomy, James Van Der Beek from Dawson’s Creek, and Mel Schilling from Married at First Sight Australia.
Fans took to social media to express their disappointment, with many questioning why O’Hara was excluded. One user wrote: “Where was the legend Catherine O’Hara in the tributes? They always do this. Miss someone out.” Another commented: “@BAFTA massive error – missing Catherine O’Hara.” A spokesperson for BAFTA later clarified that Catherine would be remembered at the 2026 Film Awards In Memoriam.
Seth Rogen took the stage to accept the award for the hit series in the International category and dedicated the win to Catherine O’Hara. He said: “I’d be remiss not to mention one of the key parts of the show, Catherine O’Hara. She meant so much to all of us. I assume her work has been so important to you all over here as it was to us. So this is for Catherine.”
Catherine O’Hara, who played Patty Leigh in The Studio, was also posthumously honored at the Actor Awards in March, where she won the Female Actor in a Comedy Series for her work on the show. Seth accepted the award on her behalf and shared heartfelt words about her legacy:
“I’ve been given the sad honor of accepting this award on O’Hara’s behalf. I know she would have been honored to receive this award from her fellow performers, who I know she respected so much. She was such big fans of all of yours. I, obviously, have been reflecting on the time I was fortunate enough to spend with her, working with her, and something that I’ve just been marveling at over the last few weeks was really her ability to be generous and kind, while never ever minimizing her own ability to contribute to the work that we were doing.”
Owen Cooper Makes History at British Academy Television Awards
Owen Cooper continued his award-winning streak at the British Academy Television Awards held at London’s Royal Festival Hall on Sunday. At just 16 years old, he made history by becoming the youngest winner of the Best Supporting Actor award at both the Golden Globes and the Emmy Awards. He took home the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor.
Meanwhile, his onscreen mother, Christine Tremarco, won Best Supporting Actress in a surprise result, beating co-star Erin Doherty, who had previously won the Golden Globe and Emmy Award.
Nominations for the awards were announced in March, with Stephen Graham leading the way with a total of 11 nominations for the drama and seven for his Disney+ series, A Thousand Blows, for which he is an executive producer.
The series, created by actor Stephen, 52, and writer Jack Thorne, tells the story of British teenager Jamie Miller, who is found guilty of murdering a female classmate after being sucked in by the manosphere online. Each episode is filmed in one continuous shot and has been widely praised for addressing topics such as online radicalisation and misogyny.
Stephen wiped away tears as Christine took to the stage and said: “I hold this BAFTA high to Hannah Walters and Stephen Graham, thank you so much.” The Netflix series also won in the Limited Drama category, beating the shows; Fought The Law (ITV), Trespasses (Channel 4) and What It Feels Like For A Girl (BBC Three).
Other Notable Winners
Claudia Winkleman accepted the Reality Award for The Celebrity Traitors. The host, 54, revealed she had flown down from Scotland on Saturday morning from filming the second series to collect the gong. The Traitors host left less than half an hour after receiving the BAFTA to get back on the plane and return to Ardross Castle.
The Entertainment BAFTA was awarded to Last One Laughing. The show follows ten comedians competing to make each other laugh without laughing themselves. Host Roisin Conaty said: “Thank you, it’s such an amazing honour. This is such a beast of a show, it’s like a war room.”
