David Tennant was the perfect fit as BAFTA Film Awards host – let's hope he's invited back

Of course, to the Scottish actor's many admirers, it will come as no surprise whatsoever that Tennant was up to the task. He has always been a charming, engaging, and genuinely likeable presence, qualities that ensure he's every bit as home as a presenter as he is as an actor (proven already as a host of Comic Relief).

Before the ceremony, Tennant had said he wanted to create an "evening that's a celebration" and by and large he delivered on that promise. He was enthusiastic without coming across as insincere, entertaining without ever making it all about himself, and generally created a warm mood that made the show a fun one to watch unfold.

Last year, presenting duties were shared by Richard E Grant – who exclusively told RadioTimes.com on the red carpet about an exchange he'd had with Tennant prior to the ceremony – and Alison Hammond. And although that pairing did a commendable job, Grant's presenting style was perhaps a little more awkward and stilted compared to the dynamic approach taken by Tennant, whose natural charisma gave the ceremony more energy and excitement than in previous years.

Of course, it pretty much goes with the awards show territory that there will be a couple of cringeworthy moments – jokes that don't land and sketches that leave audience members baffled. This ceremony wasn't completely devoid of such moments – for example, I wasn't especially convinced by Nick Mohammed's segment in character as Mr Swallow, and while the opening Staged skit was fun I did wonder if it went on just a little too long. But under Tennant's expert stewardship, the cringe was kept to a minimum, which is a testament to his hosting skills in and of itself.

As for the awards themselves, while there were a few minor upsets – such as a win for American Fiction in the Best Adapted Screenplay category – the major prizes largely went out as expected. There was no great surprise that Oppenheimer was the biggest victor, earning not just the coveted Best Film Award but also Best Actor for Cillian Murphy, Best Supporting Actor for Robert Downey Jr, Best Director for Christopher Nolan and the awards for Best Cinematography, Editing and Score.

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Meanwhile, with Killers of the Flower Moon's Lily Gladstone having been surprisingly snubbed at the nomination stage, it always looked likely that Emma Stone would take home the Best Actress prize, while The Holdovers' Da'Vine Joy Randolph – who gave one of the night's most memorable acceptance speeches – had long been the frontrunner in the Best Supporting Actress category.

Although there can be few complaints about the merits of those acting winners, all of whom gave undoubtedly great performances in popular and deserving films, the fact that in most cases their success was more or less considered a foregone conclusion meant this was a ceremony with few genuine bombshell moments.

Perhaps one of the awards that can go down as a surprise – and a welcome one at that – was the choice to name How to Have Sex star Mia McKenna-Bruce the latest recipient of the EE Rising Star Award. The actress, who was so exceptional in Molly Manning-Walker's brilliant feature debut, was up against some real heavyweights in the shape of Saltburn and Priscilla star Jacob Elordi and The Bear's Ayo Edebiri, and with the award having been voted for by the public it seemed likely that one of those bigger names might emerge victorious.

But there can be no doubt that McKenna-Bruce is a more fitting winner – an actual rising star whose career should get a deserved boost from such recognition rather than someone already globally known and on the cusp of A-lister stardom.

There were several other great moments from the ceremony too, such as the touching, heartfelt speeches given by both Samantha Morton and June Givanni as they collected their previously announced BAFTA Fellowship and Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award respectively.

And Tennant was just the man to keep things flowing between these brilliant moments – a natural host who will hopefully be back, perhaps following in the footsteps of Stephen Fry as the show's regular presenter.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

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