Prince William presents Mel Brooks with lifetime Bafta award
The legendary American-Jewish filmmaker and comedian said he is 'very grateful' to be recognised at the British film awards
Prince William took to the stage at the end of the British Film and Television Awards, to present to legendary Jewish US filmmaker, actor and comedian Mel Brooks the prestigious Bafta fellowship.
Introduced as “Prince Bill” by host Fry, the royal joked that Bafta had “run out of actors” to present awards.
Brooks, kept the audience laughing during his typical joke-laced acceptance speech, as he promised he would not be selling his Bafta online.
Referencing his “idols”, previous fellowship winners such as Laurence Olivier and Alfred Hitchcock, he said: “This is a singular and august honour.”
Brooks, 90, added: “I am very grateful. This is one of the awards that you will not see on eBay, I promise you. eBay has all the others, but not this one.
“I thank you from the bottom of my heart, it has been wonderful to be here.”
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were special guests among the stars of the big screen braving a chilly London evening to celebrate the great and good of the film industry.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
