BAFTAs Host David Tennant Promises Not to 'Diss' Taylor Swift

BAFTAs host David Tennant took away one major thing from Jo Koy‘s recent efforts at the Golden Globes.

“Don’t diss Tay Tay, I think is the lesson to be learned,” Tennant, 52, shared in an interview with Variety published on Thursday, February 15. “I live in a house of Taylor Swift fans, so I know better.”

During last month’s Golden Globes, Koy, 52, received a not-so-amused response from Swift, 34, after poking fun at the NFL’s frequent coverage of the pop star and her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. “The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL? At the Golden Globes, we have fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift, I swear,” Koy said on stage. “There’s just more to go to.”

Swift responded to the comment by taking an awkward sip from her drink with an annoyed look on her face. Swifites quickly came to the singer’s defense via social media, with one fan writing via X, “Taylor Swift being unamused by Jo Koy, she’s really just like us!”

Jo Koy Swears He’s a Swiftie After Taylor Swift Joke Backlash

Tennant, for his part, told Variety that his goal as the BAFTAs host is to “hold it all together.” He added: “I don’t think I’ve quite got that sort of approach, so I think you just have to kind of be who you are, really. But we’ve got some good material that won’t leave anyone feeling got at.”

Koy defended his dig at Swift one day after the January 7 awards show, telling Entertainment Tonight he meant for the joke to be “cute.” He explained: “I was just saying it’s less cutaways, that’s all.”

The comedian later admitted the joke was “weird” in an interview on GMA3: What You Need to Know, noting, “It was more on the NFL. I was trying to make fun of the NFL using cutaways and how the Globes didn’t have to do that. So it was more of a jab toward the NFL. But it just didn’t come out that way.”

Several celebrities criticized Swift’s response to the joke, with The View cohost Sara Haines stating last month that the Grammy winner needs to “get a sense of humor.” Megyn Kelly, meanwhile, said that Swift made the “wrong move” in negatively reacting to the comment, adding, “Can’t [Taylor] just show that she’s a good sport?”

The Best Red Carpet Fashion From the 2024 Golden Globes

Other stars stood up for Koy after many viewers panned his Golden Globes hosting performance. “That was not justified,” Melissa Rivers exclusively told Us Weekly last month of the backlash towards Koy. “A lot of the material was, I wouldn’t say his strongest, but was strong enough that it should have gotten laughs and no one was insulted. I just think the room decided they weren’t going to have fun.”

Steve Martin applauded Koy for taking on the “difficult job” via Threads last month, writing, “[It’s] not for the squeamish. I know because I’m still throwing up from the last time I did it in 2010.”

Koy poked fun at the Golden Globes drama by comparing celebrities to “marshmallows” during a St. Louis comedy gig last month. “They’re delicious, but goddamn, they’re soft. I just come from a different time,” he told audience members, per Variety. “I see the changes that are happening. I get it, but goddamn, can we f–king laugh at ourselves?”

The BAFTAs will air in the U.K. on BBC One Sunday, February 18, and will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer and BritxBox.