The BAFTAs have come down heavily on a “social media prankster” who crashed the awards ceremony on Sunday night.

The man joined director Christopher Nolan, producer Emma Thomas, and actor Cillian Murphy on stage as they claimed the most prestigious award of the night.

He stood behind Thomas, Nolan’s wife, while she delivered the acceptance speech as Oppenheimer won best film.

Dressed in a black suit and tie, the gatecrasher seemingly blended in with the movie trio as neither they, nor the audience, nor security reacted to his presence on stage.

Wearing a black hat, the man stood silently in the background, as Thomas concluded the speech on her love for Magnus Nolan – the creative couple’s son.

At one point during the speech, the man tucked what appeared to be a wire into his pocket.

As applause rang out around the Royal Festival Hall in London’s Southbank Centre, the “prankster” was seen to briefly talk to Irish actor Murphy, who won best actor.

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BAFTA responded to the incident in a statement saying: “A social media prankster was removed by security last night after joining the winners of the final award on stage.

“We are taking this very seriously, and don’t wish to grant him any publicity by commenting further.”

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The stunt has not yet been posted on social media by the alleged YouTuber.

He is previously thought to have infiltrated exclusive events including the Brit Awards, the MOBOs, and the Ballon d’Or football awards in France.

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It was a golden night for Oppenheimer as the 2023 blockbuster scooped seven awards including best original score, cinematography and editing, while Irish actor Murphy received best actor and Robert Downey Jr best supporting actor.

Other big winners included Emma Stone for her performance in quirky comedy Poor Things, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph took home the supporting actress trophy for her portrayal of a grieving school chef in The Holdovers.

BAFTA reported its viewership rose this year to a peak of 3.8 million – the highest since 2020.

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