When the BAFTAs celebrated their 78th annual ceremony last month, their all-star lineup of special guests was bound to make way for some viral moments. But no viewer on Earth could have expected show host and national hero David Tennant to open the ceremony with an explosive musical number, amassing over 1.4 million views in a matter of weeks!
David’s opening skit begins with a chat between himself and his wife Georgia (whom he first met on the set of “Doctor Who”), rattling out his pre-show nerves before Dame Helen Mirren magically appears on the other side of David’s dressing room mirror, stunning the star and offering her hilarious advice for show-hosting.
After Jim Broadbent, who stars in 2025’s “Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy” flick, manifests in David’s mirror to amp up the pressure even more, fellow Scots actor Brian Cox leads David into his show-opening song with a lick of national pride: “You’re looking sharp in that kilt, man. And remember: that’s not just a piece of clothing. It’s a symbol of pride, tradition, and strength. You’re carrying the spirit of Scotland with you.”
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If that wasn’t enough pressure to pile on the star, the Doctor Who legend soon realizes he has to break out into song. Cue David Tennant’s first viral music video — an unexpected extravaganza of a performance that will send any fangirl home crying: a full-throttle, lyrically reimagined cover of The Proclaimers’ classic, “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)”.
David marches through the backstage corridors, mic in hand, singing like a shout-out to Tony Christie and Peter Kay’s “Is This The Way To Amarillo?” music video, before emerging from the back of the BAFTAs audience and trailing down the steps of London’s Royal Festival Hall, stars lining the aisles.
And while most Music Man readers will be wondering, “Can David Tennant actually sing?”, this feel-good clip proves that any musical gaps in David’s treasure trove of performing arts skills are filled by the passion and striking character of a multi-award-winning actor, covering his melodic sins with show-stealing confidence. It’s almost anarchistic, especially when David abandons the tune to deliver spoken-word lyrics, and swiftly breaks into a pitch-perfect vocal run in his thick Edinburgh accent. It must have taken some real guts to do this in front of countless West End/Broadway legends and front-row sitting “Wicked” stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande!
But the BAFTAs saved the best till last when David handed the mic to star after star to shout The Proclaimers’ iconic “da da da da” line, rallying the entire auditorium into an all-out sing-along. Doctor Who fans were in for an extra-special treat when David handed the mic to fifteenth Doctor and another fellow Scot, Ncuti Gatwa, for a wholesome and hilarious duet.
However, it was the energy which David threw into this performance that made this skit phenomenal, with top YouTube commenters writing, “This is literally the only part I’ve seen of the awards, and I’m fine with that,” “This man’s spirit is absolutely contagious! He comes into a room filled with hundreds of celebrities waiting for another dreary awards show and promptly puts a smile on their faces,” and, “After this sketch, the BAFTAs were promptly renamed to the ‘David Tennant Does What He Likes’ Awards.”