The BBC has issued an apology after referring to Irish actor Paul Mescal as British after he received an Oscar nomination.
Awards season kicked off as The Golden Globes made their return on the 10th of January, signalling the start of a very busy few months for those in the awards show circuit.
Between January and March, almost every weekend will have one ceremony or another leading to the grand finale – the Oscars on March 12.
So, with The 95th Academy Awards quickly approaching, let’s take a look and see who will be recognised with a nomination…
The announcement event took place at the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre and was hosted by actors Riz Ahmed, Oscar winner for his movie The Long Goodbye, and Allison Williams, known best for the hit show Girls, who stars in the latest creepy doll movie, M3GAN.
Viewers were anxious to see who would make the nominations list, after so many incredible stars bagged awards at the Golden Globes. Once again, the prestigious occasion was filled with talent from all corners of the entertainment industry, excited to be honoured for their hard work and dedication.
Just like every year, everyone was itching to see who would win Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress.
But it was Paul Mescal, who received the nomination for Best Actor, that has left everyone up in arms…
Paul received the nomination of Best Actor for his role in the hit movie Aftersun, about a woman piecing together memories of her father as a young child.
“Sophie reflects on the shared joy and private melancholy of a holiday she took with her father twenty years earlier. Memories real and imagined fill the gaps between as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn’t,” the synopsis reads.
After the nomination was revealed, the BBC wrongly announced: “British actors Paul Mescal and Bill Nighy are nominated for leading role.”
After being called out on their mistake, they apologised, saying: “In text running across the screen we reported that Paul Mescal was one of two British actors who had been nominated for an Oscar for a leading role.
“The text should have said that Paul Mescal is Irish. We apologise for the mistake.”
This surprisingly isn’t the first time Paul has been referred to as British though…
The actor shot to fame back in 2020, thanks to his role in Normal People, based on Sally Rooney’s 2018 novel of the same name.
At the time, he was incorrectly identified as British by several publications, prompting him to tweet “I’m Irish,” which quickly went viral, becoming the most liked Irish tweet of the year.
Many fans have taken to social media to comment on the embarrassing blunder, with one writing: “It’s genuinely fascinating to me how British people are so proud of “Britain” and yet can’t tell the difference between Britain, the British isles, and the UK. I don’t think I’ve ever come across any other country in the world that’s so nationalistic and yet struggles so hard to find the border.”
While another commented: “That’s the BBC for you, claiming someone or something that’s their’s when it’s not then realising afterwards and apologising, the tops of the BBC need to get their priorities in order.”
