It's that annual event where D-list celebs gather in their finest rented glad rags and pretend they still watch BBC dramas on live broadcast. Genuinely, it's like watching a group of people enthusiastically clap for a fax machine - something that was once impressive,

The TV BAFTAs used to be a mark of excellence, yet now feel as if they're hosted in a vacuum. The only people watching are the nominees' PR teams and a handful of TV critics still flipping through Radio Times. Meanwhile, the rest of us are bingeing The Last of Us or rewatching Succession for the fourth time, wondering who exactly the BAFTAs think they're impressing.

The ceremony itself is the equivalent of polite small talk at a dinner party: overly rehearsed, aggressively beige, and utterly allergic to risk. Where are the surprise wins? The viral moments? The chaos? Even Eurovision - a mess of glitter and camp - manages to get people talking. And that's saying something. The BAFTAs, on the other hand, are like an awkward Zoom call where everyone's too polite to admit they're bored.

When I hear the word 'BAFTAs', I really am thinking only of the proper ceremony which honours film and is attended by bonafide Hollywood A-listers and our beloved royals. This TV offering with soap stars and people whose faces you kind of recognise from a show you can't quite remember the name of is overshadowed by its glitzier big brother, not to mention all the other amazing award shows like the Emmys and Oscars.

Worse still, the BAFTAs seem determined to reward "worthy" shows that no one actually watches, rather than celebrating the stuff people care about. It's like your aunt giving you socks for Christmas while ignoring the PS5 on your wishlist. Critics might call it "high-brow," but it's no surprise when audiences tune out. Who's going to cheer for another drama about a posh family navigating scandal when Stranger Things is doing something that feels alive?

It's no longer about the actual best of TV - it's about who can bring the most prestige to a ceremony that's faded into irrelevance. The BAFTA TV Awards are like a time capsule of a moment when linear TV meant everything. But in 2025, we're streaming, tweeting, and embracing global hits. If the BAFTAs want to matter again, they need to take a long, hard look in the mirror and ask: who exactly are we trying to impress?

Until then, they'll remain a relic of the past. And frankly, no one cares.