Rebel Wilson hosts BAFTAs 2022—outfits, jokes, and THOSE Royal jibes

Rebel Wilson's BAFTA 2022 hosting gig wowed as she stole the show with her style, humor, and Royal jokes that were too far for some

Rebel Wilson attends the British Vogue and Tiffany & Co. Fashion and Film Party 2022 at Annabel's on March 13, 2022 in London, England.
(Image credit: David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)

Rebel Wilson's BAFTA 2022 performance proved unforgettable for many reasons. From jaw-dropping style, to jokes that pushed the limits—here's the Aussie star's best bits.

Before she'd even taken to the red carpet for her 2022 hosting gig, Rebel Wilson's brutal joke about Prince Andrew from 2020 hit the headlines. As some predicted, this was a sign of things to come and the actor didn't disappoint.

Despite her confident demeanor while on stage, it turns out she was nervous ahead of the gig. Rebel explained why she had the jitters to The Hollywood Reporter.

"I actually get pretty nervous doing live appearances, especially something like this when there’s the entire industry right there—my future employers!" she said. "It can be nerve-wracking."

"Sometimes I do a bit of a character in my presentation. But when you’re the host, I don’t think you can hide behind anything," the Aussie star admitted. "I just have to come out as myself, which will be terrifying!"

Although she's known for her funny side, Rebel stood out in the best dressed among those walking the red carpet. She also lived up to her name by getting political when she addressed the Russian invasion of Ukraine and gender inequalities in the film industry.

So here's a rundown of her best moments while hosting BAFTA 2022.


Rebel Wilson's BAFTA style

Some said that Rebel Wilson channeled royalty wearing the same dress as Meghan Markle back in 2021, but this year Rebel made it clear she's her own fashion queen.

Rebel Wilson attends the British Vogue and Tiffany & Co. Fashion and Film Party 2022 at Annabel's on March 13, 2022 in London, England.

(Image credit: David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)

Rebel has a long history of looking fantastic in red and as the old saying goes, if it ain't broke don't fix it. The red gown with a plunging neckline made sure that she stayed the center of attention throughout the show.

However, it was her red carpet dress that may be her greatest style win of all time. Italian couturier Giambattista Valli created her stunning black and blue tulle gown, which she dazzled in.

Rebel Wilson attends the EE British Academy Film Awards 2022 at Royal Albert Hall on March 13, 2022 in London, England.

(Image credit: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)

Killer one-liners

After all those nerves and telling The Hollywood Reporter that she knew she risked being canceled, the actor still went close to the knuckle with her satirical jokes. 

During her monologue she went deep, with a whole host of unforgettable one-liners that took aim at the film industry, including many actors attending the ceremony.

Here's a few of Rebel Wilson's best jokes from the BAFTAs 2022.

  • "We wanted to open the show with a Bond number, because Bond is turning 60, and his girlfriends are turning 25."
  • "You guys might be like 'why is Rebel Wilson hosting the Baftas, isn't she Australian?' Yeah, I come from the bush, but if you think about it, don't we all?"
  • "Lady Gaga is nominated for House of Gucci. Apparently they all had Italian accents in that film, I didn't notice."
  • "The next award is for best original score. Mine was actually the last time I was here at the Baftas, when I got Idris Elba's phone number."
  • "Everyone's asking me me why did I lose weight, well clearly it was to get the attention of Robert Pattinson. Just joking, I did not lose weight for a guy, I did it to get more acting roles."

Royal jibes

Considering how people can't get enough of Kate Middleton's dresses, fans were a bit disappointed that she and Prince William canceled their appearance at the awards last minute, owing to 'diary constraints.'

In light of the attention Rebel gave the Royal Family's annus horribilis, that decision may have been for the best.

While discussing the details of all the best picture nominees, the host cheekily added, “Harry and Meghan’s interview with Oprah had it all. But unfortunately, it wasn’t nominated in this category.”

However, the biggest humdinger was when she addressed one of their greatest scandals, only weeks after the case in which Prince Andrew was sued for sexual assault was settled. 

Strolling out onto the stage, Rebel said, “I was going to do a musical number as host; it was about Prince Andrew. It was on rollerskates, it was called Pizza Express," she added. 

"But don’t worry, I’m not going to do it, I’m not going to sing. I’m saving my voice for the sequel to Cats," she said, referring to the infamous film that she starred in.

Political references

Usually, award ceremonies see lots of high-profile personalities take the opportunity to use their fame to draw attention to political issues. As many wonder how to help the people of Ukraine during the Russian invasion—the event organizers advised guests to 'dress respectably' in light of current affairs.

When introducing a musical performance from Emilia Jones, she explained that there would be two sign language interpreters on stage. She then added, "And this is the gesture for Putin,” while giving the middle finger.

Addressing sexism in the film industry

Rebel also took the opportunity to use humor to address sexism in the film industry. The jokes were almost too believable at this point and it's unsure if she was speaking from personal experience or not.

The actor began, “My next movie just fell through because the studio said it was a female-driven film." She added, "But females are terrible drivers. Fuck you, Lionsgate."

Adding to the painful reality she also said, “Whenever I want to make myself cry, I think how much The Rock was paid for Jungle Cruise."

Aoife Hanna
Junior News Editor

Aoife is an Irish journalist and writer with a background in creative writing, comedy, and TV production.

Formerly woman&home's junior news editor and a contributing writer at Bustle, her words can be found in the Metro, Huffpost, Delicious, Imperica and EVOKE.

Her poetry features in the Queer Life, Queer Love anthology.

Outside of work you might bump into her at a garden center, charity shop, yoga studio, lifting heavy weights, or (most likely) supping/eating some sort of delicious drink/meal.