British television viewers have shared their shock after Bafta host Joanna Lumley made a joke about the Ku Klux Klan during her opening monologue at this year's BAFTA awards.
The Absolutely Fabulous star began the British film awards ceremony on Sunday night with a series of gags about the nominated films and stars, but some viewers were shocked at her quip about the film BlacKkKlansman.
Welcoming the movie's director Spike Lee and star Adam Driver to the ceremony, Lumley said: "It's an incredible film, it has already won many awards.
"I'm surprised it did so well at the Klan Film Festival."
People watching the broadcast were stunned at the star's gag, sparking a Twitter backlash.
Spike Lee later picked up the award for best adapted screenplay for the film.
Spike Lee, the director and screenwriter of BlacKkKlansman. Source: AAP
Meanwhile, Australians Fiona Crombie and Tony McNamara were among the award-winners in the haul for The Favourite, the biggest winner at this year's BAFTAs.
Crombie and McNamara won for best production design and original screenplay respectively in seven wins for the costume romp including outstanding British film, original screenplay, production design, costume design and make-up and hair.
Kate, Duchess of Cambridge meets Olivia Colman, and director Yorgas Lanthimos, 2nd right, and writer Tony McNamara, right, at the BAFTAs. Source: AAP
Australian Margot Robbie missed out, however, on an award for best supporting actress for her performance as Queen Elizabeth I in Mary Queen of Scots.
Netflix black-and-white film Roma picked up the Best Film prize, as well as Director, at Britain's top movie honours.
Alfonso Cuaron's semi-autobiographical film, about a domestic worker in 1970s Mexico, has won a string of prizes this awards season, further cementing its path to potential Oscar success.
The critically-acclaimed movie had four wins, including Cinematography and Film Not In The English Language.
"To see a film about an indigenous domestic worker embraced this way in an age when fear and anger propose to divide us means the world to me," Cuaron said as he accepted the Best Film prize.
"Reverting back to a world of separation and isolation is not a solution to anything," Cuaron added.
Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron poses with his awards for Best Film and Best Director for Roma. Source: AAP
Olivia Colman, who portrays Britain's 18th century Queen Anne in The Favourite, won the Leading Actress category, a victory that had been expected by many. Her co-star Rachel Weisz scooped up the Supporting Actress prize, an award for which fellow The Favourite star Emma Stone was also nominated.
"We're having an amazing night aren't we. We're going to get so (drunk) later," Colman told her fellow The Favourite nominees as she picked up the award to loud cheers.
"As far as I'm concerned, all three of us are the same and should be the lead...This is for all three of us. It's got my name on it, but we can scratch in some other names."
Rami Malek took the Leading Actor prize for his portrayal of late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in "Bohemian Rhapsody", adding to his Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award wins for the role. He paid tribute to Mercury in his acceptance speech.
Mahershala Ali took the Supporting Actor prize for his role in Green Book, set in the segregated US South in the early 1960s, while Bradley Cooper picked up the Original Music prize for A Star Is Born.
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