Viewers were left outraged after Barry Chuckle and Mike Thalassitis were omitted from the In Memoriam segment at this year’s BAFTA TV Awards.
Children’s entertainer Barry, who died in August 2018, and former Love Island contestant Thalassitis, who died in March, also failed to get a mention from host Graham Norton who added tributes to comedian Freddie Starr and broadcaster Brian Walden.
Barry’s brother Paul was among those who questioned why his sibling was omitted, tweeting: “We received our BAFTAs ten years ago. He should have been mentioned. @BAFTA.”
One viewer wrote: “@BAFTA was there a reason as to why Barry Chuckle wasn’t mentioned!!!! Shame on you, years of entertainment and you can’t even acknowledge him. @PaulChuckle2.”
Another posted: “@BAFTA Barry Chuckle missing from the memorial film? A man who entertained an entire generation on TV for 30 years? Disappointing... #BAFTAS.”
Referring to Thalassitis, who took his own life, another posted: “Why wasn’t Mike Thalassistis featured in the @BAFTA ‘In Memoriam’ segment? Reality TV is a very popular strand of British Television, especially @LoveIsland and @CelebsGoDating - two that he took part in. #BAFTATV.”
A BAFTA spokesperson said: “Barry was featured at our Children’s Awards ceremony in November 2018. Owing to the number of people we can recognise at any one time, names are featured within a ceremony only once.
“Owing to the limited amount of time for the televised obituaries section within our ceremonies, it is not possible to recognise all those who have sadly passed away. BAFTA’s online obituaries maintain a year-round public testament to those from our industries who are no longer with us.”
Stars including actress Dame June Whitfield and presenter Denis Norden were among those remembered at Sunday night’s ceremony.
Killing Eve scooped three awards including Drama Series and Best Actress for Jodie Comer who paid a emotional tribute to her late grandmother.
Fighting back tears she dedicated her gong to “nana” who never got to see her play Villanelle in the gripping BBC assassin drama.
“I would love to dedicate this award to my nana Francis who sadly passed away the first week of filming so you never got to see Villanelle,” she said. “She was the life and soul of everything.”
BAFTA TV Awards 2019 red carpet: In Pictures
See the full list of winners here.