It took a lot of people, including the star-studded cast of Oppenheimer, to make it a financial and critical success, so it can be forgiven if someone can’t remember all of the people responsible for bringing it to theaters. What is harder to forgive are holes in security at award shows, and it seems that the biggest one since Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars happened at the 2024 BAFTAs. A man took the stage alongside director Christopher Nolan and star Cillian Murphy to accept an award, and no one realized he wasn’t supposed to be there.
Authorities are looking into the situation as DailyMail reports YouTube prankster Lizwani managed to take the stage and stand alongside the Oppenheimer crew as producer Emma Thomas deliver her acceptance speech. Video from the event is making rounds on social media shows the prankster standing behind Thomas wearing a suit and a beanie. No one onstage seemed alarmed by his appearance or even aware he wasn’t meant to be there, but he was reportedly removed by security afterward.
It’s unclear at this time how Lizwani made his way into the BAFTAs without an invitation, though those who follow his YouTube channel will know this is his specialty. The prankster has found his way into many exclusive events in years past, and he’s one of a few content creators on the internet who makes a hobby out of this kind of behavior. Despite BAFTA’s claim of taking some of his content, the YouTuber does say that he still has footage and intends to make a full video of his infiltration soon.
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While the incident itself looks mostly harmless and no one was hurt by it, it does once again open up serious security concerns for celebrities looking to attend some of the most prestigious events around the world. Even celebrities like Drew Barrymore have had stalkers accost her during her show, so it is important for these organizations to prioritize safety and make sure that stars and creatives are protected.
To see an event happen like this years after Will Smith‘s infamous slap led to the Oscars creating a crisis team is troubling. While the BAFTAs are an entirely different organization with different standards, it seems that all award shows should be on alert for people who can easily sneak into these events lest they have bad intentions.
Oppenheimer‘s next big award showing is at the 2024 Oscars, as it collected a staggering 13 nominations last month. Now would be a good time to stream the movie online for those who haven’t had a chance to do so yet to see what the hype is all about. Those with a Peacock subscription can check out Oppenheimer right now and decide for themselves if it’s one of the year’s best pictures or not. As for where to find the world’s best pranksters when it comes to breaking into premiere events around the world, I can’t help you with that, but hopefully, this trend will die out before too long.