Ariana DeBose has defended her divisive performance at the 2023 BAFTA Film Awards.
In a preview of her appearance on BBC Radio 2’s The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show, the West Side Story star addresses the backlash she received after performing an original rap in honour of female nominees at the awards show in London earlier this month.
As part of the gig, Ariana named-checked actresses including Angela Bassett, Viola Davis, Cate Blanchett, and Jamie Lee Curtis.
After Zoe praised the performance, Ariana joked that the host “might be one of the few” to do so, saying, “I’ll take it, because you’re my people.”
Following the 32-year-old’s appearance, criticism and memes appeared on social media, leading her to delete her Twitter account.
Yet, Ariana maintained that she achieved what she set out to do with the show.
“Honestly, it’s not like I’m like, ‘Hey BAFTA, let me in!’ They actually called me, believe it or not," the entertainer recalls. “That was the assignment. Like, ‘Come celebrate women,’ and I was like, ‘Absolutely!’
“We did that and it was fun. Not gonna lie, I had a blast.”
She also noted one positive online response: “Gay Twitter seemed to like it, so that’s good. I’ll take it.”
The full interview is set to air on Monday.
