Rolf Harris guilty: Entertainer's Bafta Fellowship annulled after conviction
It remains to be seen whether the TV presenter will also lose his CBE
Rolf Harris has lost his prestigious Bafta Fellowship after being convicted of 12 counts of indecent assault.
The TV presenter and entertainer, 84, was found guilty at Southwark Crown Court yesterday and, earlier today, Bafta released a statement confirming that his 2012 honour has been stripped.
“The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) has made the decision to annul the Bafta Fellowship bestowed upon Rolf Harris in 2012 following his conviction,” it read.
Harris, known for Animal Hospital, Rolf on Art and Rolf’s Cartoon Club, had been honoured for “outstanding and exceptional contribution to television”.
He painted a portrait of the Queen to commemorate her 80th birthday in 2005, despite an alleged victim sending a letter to the monarch warning her of his predatory behaviour.
The Crown Prosecution Service said that Harris “used his status and position as a world famous children’s entertainer to sexually assault young girls over a period spanning 18 years.”
He will return to court on Friday to hear his sentence but remains on bail until then.
Video: Reaction to Rolf Harris conviction
It has not yet been confirmed whether Harris will also see his CBE removed, as that decision must first be approved by the Queen.