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Soggy Baftas

Pauline McLean | 10:12 UK time, Tuesday, 11 November 2008

The red carpet was soggy to say the least, but not even a hail storm could keep hardy Scottish celebrity types away from the Bafta Scotland awards.

The event - at Glasgow's City Hall - has certainly grown in stature over the past few years with 800 guests on Sunday night, including Robbie Coltrane, Robert Carlyle, Michelle Gomez, Kate Dickie, James Cosmo and David Hayman.

But the old suspicion remains, is the industry big enough to justify an awards ceremony of its own?

Many of the categories tell their own stories - with only a handful of nominations.

Last year, the Best Actress category had just one lonely nominee - Sophia Myles - no tension when that award was announced.

So this year, to save their blushes Bafta have abandoned Best Actress and Best Actor for a free for all Best Performance award - one for TV and one for film.

They've also expanded the criteria to take in actors working in any part of the globe - hence the inclusion of Ashley Jensen for the American comedy Ugly Betty.

She wasn't there - she's apparently applying for American citizenship and can't leave America until it's done - which was just as well because she didn't win.

Instead the TV award went to Ken Stott, who was less than glowing about the state of the homegrown industry.

Like Robert Carlyle - whose film Summer won two awards - he feels many people are too blasé about the state of the industry.

He's particularly angry about the failure of UK broadcasters to meet their drama quota (as revealed in evidence to the recent Broadcast Commission).

Brian Cox, meanwhile, was on his own soap box, this time about the importance of distribution.

The Escapist - which won him Best Film Performance - may have Hollywood backing but it struggled to get much of a showing.

He says Scotland has to fight back, perhaps even developing its own quota system in line with French cinema.

It was a low key Bafta ceremony for the Still Game team this time, their Christmas special losing out to Gary's War.

Tension too on the red carpet for Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill, on their first public appearance since their apparent fallout over their production company Effingee.

Asked to pose together on the red carpet, Greg Hemphill's response was a curt "nah, no way".

Asked later about the split, Ford Kiernan said "I'm just Eff now. It's just Effing me now."

One man for whom the whole event went swimmingly was Mikey Hughes, ex Big Brother star, now back in his day job at Insight Radio.

Mikey has an admirable way of nabbing his interviewees - which predates his TV fame.

Particularly impressive was the way he pounced on Robert Carlyle in the backstage bar and demanded an interview before the normally reticent actor had a chance to say no.

Mikey also has a celebrity occasion of his own to look forward to.

After leaving the Big Brother house, he was apparently inundated with requests to switch on various Christmas lights around the country.

In the end, he narrowed it down to one - his local event in Kilwinning which will take place on 27 November.

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