Paddington Bear, a fictional character in British children’s literature, became the first-ever ‘bear’ to present an award at the 79th EE British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) awards in London on Sunday.
The ceremony, hosted by Alan Cumming at the Royal Festival Hall, saw Paddington, dressed in his signature blue toggle coat, present the award for the Children’s and Family Film category.
Paddington, in his debut as a Bafta presenter, admitted to the audience that he was just as “surprised” to be onstage as they were to see him. “I don’t usually talk in front of lots of people, and there are rather a lot of you,” he noted.
He went on to share some advice from his Aunt Lucy and said, “It’s always better to face your fears. Unless, of course, it’s a snake, then you have to walk away very slowly.”
Paddington revealed that his foster mother, Mrs. Brown, had told him his appearance would mark a historic moment at the awards. “I am the first ever bear to present an award, and also the first presenter to get marmalade all over a Bafta. Sorry about that,” he said, nodding to his favourite snack.
“Paddington Bear makes his #EEBAFTAs debut to present the award for Children’s and Family Film,” reads the caption on Instagram.
The nominations for the category were Boong, Arco, Lilo & Stitch, and Zootropolis 2.
Farhan Akhtar-backed Boong, a Manipuri-language coming-of-age drama and the only Indian entry in this year's nominations, won the Bafta for Best Children’s Film, marking a rare victory for an Indian production in this category.
Reacting to the post, a fan wrote in the comments section, “This was actually so cool and wholesome.” Another fan commented, “It’s really a beautiful thing to fire the imagination of children everywhere with this presentation. There are few moments of wonder in life. I’m glad Bafta invested in this. Also, always have a marmalade sandwich in case of emergencies.”
A Bear Called Paddington (13 October 1958) by British author Michael Bond introduced Paddington Bear. He went on to feature in 29 books, the last being Paddington at St. Paul’s in 2018, illustrated by artists including Peggy Fortnum, David McKee, and R. W. Alley.
Bringing Paddington to live on stage, Paddington: The Musical premiered at London’s Savoy Theatre on November 1, 2025, and is scheduled to run through early 2027.
Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt attended the ceremony as one of the presenters. Alia, in her debut as a BAFTA presenter, delivered her opening remarks in Hindi.
Aimee Lou Wood, Bryan Cranston, Cillian Murphy, Riz Ahmed, Delroy Lindo, Gillian Anderson, Glenn Close, Olivia Cooke, Patrick Dempsey, Sadie Sink, Stormzy, Alicia Vikander and Little Simz were among the other presenters this year alongside some of the nominees including Michael B. Jordan and Kate Hudson.
