More than 600 complaints made to BBC after broadcaster called Paul Mescal ‘British’

While reporting on the Irish actor’s Oscar nomination for Aftersunlast week, the BBC News programme showed text on the screen that said: “2023 Oscar nominations: British actors Paul Mescal and Bill Nighy are nominated for leading role.”

The BBC apologised for the mistake shortly afterwards, in a statement that read: “In text running across the screen we reported that Paul Mescal was one of two British actors who had been nominated for an Oscar for a leading role.

“The text should have said that Paul Mescal is Irish. We apologise for the mistake.”

Maynooth native Mescal has previously had to correct the British press for getting his nationality wrong.

After making headlines when starring in the television adaptation of Sally Rooney’s best-selling novel Normal People in 2020, Mescal tweeted simply: “I’m Irish.”

Last week, Mescal’s sister Nell revealed that their mother has cancer and is getting ready to undergo chemotherapy treatment.

Dearbhla Mescal had a haircut on Tuesday, January 24 “in prep for her chemotherapy”, the same day it was announced that Paul received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

Reacting to her son’s nomination, Dearbhla told RTÉ that she found out the news through their family WhatsApp group because it was “too stressful” to watch the nominations live.