Host Release

Thursday 15th January/...The British Academy of Film and Television Arts today announced that Dara O'Briain will host this year's GAME British Academy Video Games Awards.

Arguably the most successful Irish comedian to have hit the UK for a decade, Dara has hosted, and appeared on, a number of TV shows and toured extensively across England and Ireland. Evening Standard journalist, Bruce Dessau once wrote of him: “If you don't laugh at O'Briain, check your pulse - you must be dead!”

A graduate of Dublin's University College, where he studied Maths and Theoretical Physics, Dara O'Briain said: "I am delighted to be hosting this year's BAFTA Video Games Awards. As a gamer all my life I can recognise a Golden Age when I'm living in one, and this is probably the greatest era in video game history. These are massive, magical, wondrous worlds created for us to play in; cutting edge technology being made to fly by the most imaginative minds working today. It's only right that BAFTA acknowledge the work of an industry that now attracts the greatest creative talent. And only right that BAFTA send me a copy of everything to play first, so that I look like I know what I'm talking about. Thumbs at the ready!"

David Parfitt, Chairman of the Academy said: “We are thrilled that Dara is hosting the Awards this year because he ticks all the boxes - he is a real gamer and also incredibly funny. It will be a great night with Dara at the helm!”

The GAME British Academy Video Games Awards ceremony will take place on March 10 at London's Hilton Hotel on Park Lane.  Tickets can be booked by calling James Rhodes on 0207 292 5839 or jamesr@bafta.org

Further details of this year's Awards can be found on BAFTA's website at www.bafta.org/games

For more information please contact:

Gary Burns

Barrington Harvey

Tel: 01462 456780 or 07 88888 4992

Email: gary.burns@bhpr.co.uk