Benedict Cumberbatch Says He Hopes To Take In Ukrainian Refugee

Benedict Cumberbatch has spoken about Russia's invasion of Ukraine while attending the 2022 BAFTA Awards, saying he hopes to take in a Ukrainian refugee. 

The 45-year-old star is nominated for Best Actor for his performance in The Power Of The Dog, but said that the conflict can’t be ignored. 

Speaking to Sky News on the red carpet, he said: "We have brothers and sisters who are suffering", before highlighting the ‘civilians who are being shelled and shot at, and killed and made homeless without power, without water, without food’.

He continued: "It is a really shocking time to be a European, two-and-a-half hours' flight away from Ukraine. It's something that hangs over us.

"We have brothers and sisters who are suffering" in Ukraine, says Benedict Cumberbatch.

The actor adds he hopes to be part of the government's new humanitarian scheme to host Ukrainian refugees.

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“And while tonight is a celebration and this might look like tokenism, we’re celebrating the moving image, we’re celebrating pictures… this is what I’m trying to do to show I’m standing side-by-side with my brothers and sisters who are going through this. 

"But we all need, as we know, to do more than wear a badge. We need to donate, we need to pressure our politicians to continue to create some kind of a refugee safety and haven here for people who are suffering. 

“I know that’s ongoing, I know that’s happening but everyone needs to do as much as they can. 

“I think already today the news has broken that there's been a record number of people volunteering to take people into their homes, and I hope to be part of that myself."

With millions of Ukrainians having to flee their homes, pressure has been building on the UK to take in as many people as it can.

The Home Office initially only granted visas to refugees with family in the UK, and even then the process has been described as ​​slow and restrictive. 

In response, from next week the British public will be able to apply to a wider sponsorship scheme to house refugees with no family ties to the UK. 

Cumberbatch wasn’t the only star to discuss the topic while arriving at the BAFTAs, with Stephen Graham, who is up in the running for Leading Actor thanks to his role in Boiling Point, also speaking to Sky News.

"It's lovely to be here with my family but at the same time it's important for me to acknowledge in public what is happening over there,” he explained. 

Kenneth Branagh compared the conflict to the themes explored in his movie Belfast, which landed six BAFTA nominations for the 2022 ceremony.

He said: "The situations are utterly different but the human costs are the same. It is painful and tragic to see, I hope it ends very soon."

If you would like to donate to the Red Cross Emergency Appeal, which will help provide food, medicines and basic medical supplies, shelter and water to those in Ukraine, click here for more information.