A Scots actress has joined the dissent over the BBC decision's to omit coverage of a former world-champion athlete turned screenwriter's hard-fought BAFTA win.
Jo Cameron Brown said it was "incomprehensible" that Lesley Paterson, 42, "was not mentioned" among the winners for the World War 1 epic All Quiet on the Western Front in last Sunday's televised ceremony. Her acceptance speech was also cut.
The former three times World Champion Triathlete scooped best adapted screenplay for the Netflix movie version of Erich Maria Remarque’s 1929 German-language novel.
The anti-war film won seven prizes, including best picture, building the somber drama's momentum as awards season rolls toward its climax at next month's Oscars.
Writing on social media Ms Brown, who has appeared in Scottish soap River City, said "I’m a BAFTA member, I voted for Lesley Paterson, for this extraordinary screenplay.
"I was then bewildered as to why she wasn’t mentioned in any of the All Quiet winners.
"Now I know BBC didn’t feel this award speech merited inclusion…. INCOMPREHENSIBLE.
"They found time for inane interviews backstage, but not the story of how a 3 times World Champion Triathlete became a BAFTA-winning scriptwriter."
READ MORE: Scot sprints to glory as her film is awarded seven BAFTAs
A spokeswoman for the BBC said it would not be commenting on criticism of its coverage.
The Stirling-born screenwriter herself, has admitted she was unhappy at having her acceptance speech cut out of this year’s broadcast.
Interviewed on BBC Breakfast the following day she said: "It’s definitely frustrating because it really does take a village to make a film and all of the team should be recognised, especially because we started this project so many years ago.
“But at the end of the day, I haven’t gotten this far by being negative about little things like that. I’m a positive positive person, I’m so, so happy with what’s happened.”
READ MORE: The Highland artist who captured the horrors of WW1 trenches
The story of her struggle to get the film off the ground is now being shared on social media in protest over the BBC's coverage.
On retiring as an elite sportswoman, she was asked "what next?" and she replied: "I am going to move halfway across the world from my home here in Scotland become a scriptwriter and win an Oscar.
READ MORE: 'Masterpiece' drama Happy Valley provides lessons for Scots students
Over the course of 16 years she pitched the idea to anyone who would listen and remortgaged her house to keep her dream alive.
She was told she would need to raise $10,000 or lose the rights to the film.
Fate played its hand when she learned a triathlon was taking place with $10,000 prize money .
She entered and began training but the day before the race she fell from her bike and broke her shoulder.
However, not to be deterred, she strapped up, cycled ran and swum a mile using her legs and one arm and won the race.
The film was directed by Edward Berger and stars Daniel Brühl of Inglorious Basterds, The Alienist and Captain America: Civil War and is tipped to pick up Best Picture at next month's Oscars.
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