Comedian Greg Davies is set to take over from Alan Cumming as host of the BAFTA TV Awards 2026.
Davies, who played Mr. Gilbert in “The Inbetweeners” and is currently the host of Channel 4 quiz show “Taskmaster,” will host the ceremony on Sunday, May 10 at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall. It will be broadcast on a time delay later that evening on BBC One and iPlayer.
Davies said he was “thrilled to be presenting.”
“I see the whole event as an opportunity to wave a flag for this beloved medium and, with the exception of one commissioner, two execs and a co-star that I have personal beef with, I will do everything I can to ensure it’s a night of warm celebration for all.”
No doubt the show will be under particular scrutiny this year after its cinematic counterpart, the BAFTA Film Awards, caused controversy last month when a racial slur inadvertently uttered by Tourette’s campaigner John Davidson during the ceremony was not edited out of the broadcast.
Cumming, who hosted the film awards, was caught up in the controversy after being asked to make an apology for Davidson’s “strong language” during the ceremony. He also hosted last year’s TV awards.
Earlier this month Cumming addressed the debacle in a post on Instagram. “I’m so sorry for all the pain Black people have felt hearing the word echoed around the world. I’m so sorry the Tourettes community has been reminded of the lack of understanding and tolerance that abounds regarding their condition,” he wrote on the social media site. “We were all let down by decisions made to both broadcast slurs and censor free speech.”
The nominees for the 2026 BAFTA TV Awards are set to be announced in due course.
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