Matthew Perry was not featured as part of the BAFTA In Memoriam tribute segment on Sunday (February 19), confusing some fans of the late Friends star.
Actor Matthew was 54 when he passed away last October, having been found unresponsive in a hot tub at his home in Los Angeles.
A toxicology review as part of a full autopsy later confirmed contributing factors in his death included “drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine”. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner noted at the time that buprenorphine is an “opioid-like drug used in the treatment of opioid addiction as well as acute and chronic pain”.
Last month Matthew was remembered during the Emmys 2024 ceremony during a tribute to famous faces no longer with us.
But some viewers of Sunday evening’s BAFTAs expressed dismay and bewilderment that Matthew was not mentioned in a similar manner.
Matthew Perry fans slam ‘disrespectful’ BAFTA
“No Matthew Perry?” one person watching at home tweeted at the BAFTA account in response to a post concerning the special arrangement of Time After Time by Joe Stilgoe performed by Hannah Waddingham for the segment.
Others were also puzzled by the lack of acknowledgement towards Matthew. Someone else pondered online: “Anyone else wondering why Matthew Perry wasn’t mentioned during the @BAFTA #EEBAFTAs?”
Some disgruntled fans even accused BAFTA of ‘disrespect’.
“What about Mathew Perry? Bad form @BAFTA,” one accusation read.
“No Matthew Perry! Poor show,” huffed another social media user.
Yet another claimed: “Why no Matthew Perry, very disrespectful!”
And someone else seethed: “@BAFTA never watching this joke of an award ceremony after slighting Matthew Perry like that.”
However, BAFTA tweeted back to some users, explaining why Matthew didn’t feature.
Matthew Perry will be remembered in this year’s TV Awards ceremony. You can also find our tribute to Matthew at https://t.co/903NKrE1dw
— BAFTA (@BAFTA) February 18, 2024
Why wasn’t Matthew Perry part of the BAFTA In Memoriam tributes?
They responded: “Matthew Perry will be remembered in this year’s TV Awards ceremony.”
Additionally, other viewers noted how similar complaints in previous years had been addressed.
One tweet claimed: “BAFTA have strict rules that someone who dies only gets one mention in either the Film Awards or Television Awards. So they pick whichever aligns most closely with what the person is known for. And although Perry was in films, he was far better known for TV.”
Read more: Emmys 2024 viewers cry ‘ugly tears’ over poignant tribute to Matthew Perry: ‘Hard to watch’
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