BAFTA producer defends Ariana DeBose after Twitter slams her ‘awkward’ rap

BAFTAs producer Nick Bullen has expressed support for Ariana DeBose after she faced criticism over her performance at the awards show, held on Sunday.

Ariana opened the event with a rendition of Eurythmics’s 1985 hit track Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves.

Midway through the song, the former Bafta-winner introduced a rap in which she name-checked all the female stars in the audience.

The clip has since gone viral, with many viewers bashing the “cringey” moment on Twitter.

Following the ceremony, in an interview with Variety, Bullen addressed the backlash, claiming their assessment was “incredibly unfair.”

"I think it's incredibly unfair, to be frank," said the producer about the musical performance. "The songs she was singing are very familiar songs, the room was clapping, and people were sort of dancing to the music."

"That rap section in the middle, mentioning the women in the room, was because it's been a great year for women in film, and we wanted to celebrate that, “ Bullen told the publication.

He also explained, “And here is a woman of colour who is at the absolute top of her game. And she’s opening the Baftas with a song that said so much on so many levels. All of those mentions, I felt, from the moment we were rehearsing it right through to the transmission last night, spoke to what we wanted to do.”

Meanwhile, Ariana hasn't spoken out about the criticism that followed Sunday's awards ceremony — and her Twitter account also appears to be deactivated.