Here’s the real reason Zoe Saldaña’s Baftas speech was censored and what she actually said

The Baftas was a big night for musicals with Wicked walking away with two awards and Emilia Pérez once again dominating conversation on Twitter after Zoe Saldaña’s impassioned speech.

Despite Emilia Pérez getting absolutely rinsed by everyday people, officials and critics love the bizarre musical. It’s nominated for 13 Oscars, won eight Golden Globes, and managed to snag two awards at last night’s Baftas.

During her acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actress, Zoe Saldaña thanked the cast and crew while echoing how important it is to see foreign language films win awards.

Tearing up, she said: “I was told not to cry by my children, so I’ll try. This is so validating and a true honour, because the very few times that I went for a part with a British accent or dialect coach, I was like, ‘This is not going to happen to you’.

“Even though I have a lot of British friends, I find myself repeating all their phrases, and I know that I’m a pain in the a**e.

“BAFTA thank you, this was a creative challenge of a lifetime. How do you begin to even approach a film that not just defies categorisation, and you start by taking the leap with Jacques Audiard? I want to thank my wonderful cast.

“Films are supposed to change hearts and challenge minds and I hope I did something like this. voices need to be heard, just not my English accent.”

But then the rest of the speech was abruptly cut, leaving people wondering what else Zoe had to say.

What did Zoe Saldana say in her snipped Baftas speech?

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Sitting at home we missed out on the rest of Zoe Saldaña’s speech, but according to The Independent, she continued to say: “I’m dedicating all of these awards and the film Emilia Pérez to my nephew, Eli. He is the reason – they are the reason – I signed up to do this film in the first place,” Zoe said. “So as the proud aunt of a trans life, I will always stand with my community of trans people.”

Right at the end, after realising she had run over her time, Zoe panicked and added: “Oh my god I’m getting a countdown. F**k f**k f**k!”

Zoe Saldaña dedicates her BAFTA win to her trans nephew Eli. pic.twitter.com/3W3DlArFY5

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) February 16, 2025

There was mad speculation about why her speech was cut short – ranging from censoring trans rights to avoiding Karla Sofía Gascón’s controversy – but as a spokesperson for the awards show told the publication, the real reason was much more mundane.

“As in previous years, due to the nature of the show it is broadcast with a short delay, and while we always aim to keep the core sentiment of acceptance speeches, edits have to be made due to time constraints,” they said.

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Featured image credit: Baftas