Elz the Witch to Host Bafta Games Awards
YouTuber Elz the Witch has been announced as the host for this year’s Bafta Games Awards. The content creator, known for her gaming videos on YouTube, will lead the ceremony held in London next month.
The Bafta Games Awards celebrate the best video game titles released in the previous year and are regarded as one of the most prestigious events in the gaming industry calendar.
Speaking to beat ahead of the event, Elz expressed her pride in representing women within the gaming community.
"I feel tremendously proud to represent women in the space," she said.
Elz, who has chosen to keep her full name private but has disclosed her first name is Eleanor, has successfully transitioned from online content creation to a professional hosting career.
She is well known to audiences of the Sidemen Charity Match, which she has presented multiple times, and is a regular voice on radio stations Kiss Xtra and Kerrang Radio.
Despite her hosting experience, Elz admitted feeling nervous upon learning she would be hosting the Bafta Games Awards.
"It's very nerve-wracking and a lot of pressure," she said. "I was blown away to be considered for the job."
She views the hosting role as an opportunity to further her mission of increasing female representation and challenging stereotypes in gaming, a goal she set when she began uploading videos.
"I was told when I was little: 'Oh, why are you gaming?'" she recalled.
Elz noted that while significant progress has been made in recent years, challenges remain.
"There are still so many women, myself included, that receive abuse online when you're gaming," she said. "There's a massive responsibility for games companies and also social media platforms to help protect women in the space."
Female Hosts and Industry Representation
Elz is not the first woman to host the Bafta Games Awards; esports presenter Frankie Ward and TV presenter Elle Osili-Wood have also served as hosts in previous years.
However, Elz hopes her presence on stage will inspire other women considering careers in gaming and related fields.
"You can be a woman and love video games," she affirmed.
Nominees and Anticipation for the Awards
This year’s nominations are led by Sandfall Interactive's Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 with 12 nominations, followed by the superhero adventure Dispatch with nine.
Other contenders for the top prize include the puzzle game Blue Prince, PlayStation title Ghost of Yōtei, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and mult game Arc Raiders.
As the awards host, Elz is not revealing her personal favorites but mentioned she has been dedicating significant time to playing many of the nominated games.
"I've been sinking in a lot of hours to some of the games nominated," she said. "I'm excited to meet some of the people behind the titles I loved last year."
She emphasized the importance of games in her own life and looks forward to expressing her appreciation to the developers.
"Games were such a key part of just keeping me going, so I really want to meet some of these games companies and just tell them how much it means to me," Elz added.
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