Bafta trustees may have broken charity law by accepting free guest tickets
Summary
A Bafta membership council chair said trustees may have breached charity and company law by accepting guest tickets to awards ceremonies while the academy’s accounts stated they received no benefits. Bafta said it ended the guest-ticket practice in 2025 and has set up an independent group to review the arrangement.Key Facts
- Michael Pritchett said legal advice he obtained suggested offences may have been committed by trustees who approved Bafta’s 2024 and 2025 accounts.
- Pritchett said trustees had received complimentary tickets for themselves and guests at film, television and games awards, possibly for as long as 20 years.
- Bafta’s governing document bars trustees from receiving remuneration or other benefits from the academy.
- Pritchett said guest tickets may have created tax liabilities since 2016 and that he could not determine whether the arrangements had been reported to authorities.
- Outgoing chair Sara Putt said Bafta ended the practice of giving trustees a guest ticket in 2025, following a recommendation from its governance committee.
- Bafta said an independent review group is examining the historic guest-ticket arrangement.
- Putt said Bafta would pay taxes if it were told they were due.
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