MAWAAN RIZWAN almost stole the show as he went to collect his Bafta for Best Male Comedy Performance – he joked that it was the least humbling thing that had ever happened to him and warned that people had put on him on a pedestal and they would regret it. He also said his therapist had warned him this week about seeking external validation…
Later in the winners’ press conference he shared that it had taken him 10 years to develop the show that became ‘Juice’.
www.asianculturevulture.com spoke to him at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2018 and he acknowledged our presence us talking to him about the show.
Sailesh Ram, acv editor asked him what it was like to win for a comedy that featured his both his mother Shahnaz and brother Nabhaan – who are also professional actors.
He said his mother would rap him for not mentioning her in his acceptance speech.
Watch the video below
The show revolves around Jamma, played by Rizwan himself and his relationship with his therapist boyfriend essayed by star Russell Tovey who is cool Guy, to Jamma’s craziness and slightly madcap family. It was on TV in the autumn of last year and is set to be released in the US in June.
We were also able to ask Romesh Ranganathan what was at the heart of his friendship with Rob Beckett. Their Bafta is for Comedy Entertainment for their programme, ‘Rob & Romesh VS’.
In this the two comedians interviews high profile celebrities and try to learn skills well beyond their capabilities. It broadcasts on Sky.
The two are good friends as well as being professional colleagues who appear on the programme together – and it is the second time they have compered the Bafta TV Awards together.
Floella Benjamin who was presented with a Bafta Fellowship – the highest accolade bestowed by the organisation and its members, made an impassioned speech in the room about diversity and first introducing the idea of children of different races being seen in and recognised. She said that we had to focus on the welfare of children and spoke about her last conversation with the late Queen and “forgiveness freeing the soul”. She told the press room that when her parents and herself first moved to Beckenham “people were horrible to them and wanted us arrested” but she had forgiven those who had wronged her and moved forward positively and campaigned for issues important to her. She first came to appearance on Childrens TV – starring in ‘Play School’, and ‘Play Away’ and joked that many were here Play School children in the audience.