IAN MCKELLEN - MCKELLEN BLASTS 'DOWNMARKET' BAFTAS

English thespian SIR IAN MCKELLEN has branded Sunday (11FEB07) night's British Academy Awards (BAFTAs) "downmarket and low key". THE LORD OF THE RINGS star expressed his disappointment the awards had failed to attract neither LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE actor ALAN ARKIN, who was named Best Supporting Actor, or DREAMGIRLS' JENNIFER HUDSON, named Best Supporting Actress - both of whom failed to collect their awards at the event in London. Despite DAME JUDI DENCH, DAME HELEN MIRREN and FOREST WHITAKER being in attendance, he admits, "I thought it was a little down, a little downmarket." The actor also slammed new host JONATHAN ROSS on his debut presenting the awards, lauding previous host STEPHEN FRY for his past efforts. He adds, "I thought he (Ross) was a bit low key. He played it respectful. "Stephen had been doing it for a long time and he was full of jokes but maybe Jonathan thought, 'I'll be the serious film connoisseur'".