Ariana DeBose responds to viral BAFTAs performance
Angela Bassett and Ariana DeBose did the thing! On Sunday (19 February), DeBose memorably went viral online after opening the BAFTA Awards with a musical number, featuring a rap verse that praised acting nominees such as Angela Bassett, Viola Davis, Cate Blanchett and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Her instantly iconic delivery of the line “Angela Bassett did the thing”, in celebration of the star’s acclaimed performance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, became the internet’s latest obsession, spawning meme after meme.
The response led to DeBose deactivating her Twitter, with BAFTAs producer Nick Bullen issuing a statement to Variety in defence of the performance, which was “loved” by everyone “who was in the room”. “She’s a huge star, she was amazing.
The songs she was singing are very familiar songs, the room was clapping, and people were sort of dancing to the music,” he told the publication. “That rap section in the middle, mentioning the women in the room, was because it’s been a great year for women in film, and we wanted to celebrate that.
