Gracie Abrams and Paul Mescal's bid to become Hollywood's new 'power couple': Couple pack on 'performative' PDA as they hard launch their relationship at the 2026 BAFTAs

Paul Mescal and his girlfriend, Gracie Abrams, made their highly anticipated red carpet debut as a couple at the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards in London on Sunday night.

The star-studded ceremony became the stage for a defining relationship moment, with the A-list couple putting on a PDA-packed display. 

Yet it's been suggested that some of their smitten moments may have been performative, with Gracie accused of 'taking tips from Kylie Jenner's playbook' when it comes to hard launching her romance. 

While posing for snaps on the red carpet, songwriter Gracie, 26, planted a tender kiss on 30-year-old Paul's cheek before they looked lovingly into each other's eyes.

They also shared an intimate smooch inside the auditorium as the pair celebrated Hamnet winning Outstanding British Film.

Their loved-up display marks a major shift for the private couple, who have been romantically linked since 2024 but have largely kept their relationship shielded from public view - until now. 

Now body language expert Judi James has suggested that one half of the couple is keen to reframe their romance as Hollywood’s next power partnership.

She told the Daily Mail: 'Everything about their red carpet rituals here look specifically designed to announce this as a serious and romantic relationship, with a nod from at least one of the couple suggesting a desire to launch as a the new Hollywood power couple on the block.

'Their bodies roll into poses together at each camera spot, with Gracie's torso turned inward and pressed close in a "draping" ritual that shows Paul as her hero of the night. 

'His hand with the slightly splayed fingers rests on her bottom in a casually sexy gesture.'

However, Judi noted that there is a 'hint of a branding disconnect' with their body language.

She continued: 'Gracie's body language is rather "Kylie Jenner-style Hollywood" but Paul's looks less elegantly performative and more relatably casual and natural.

'Gracie looks keen to keep pecking kisses onto his face during their red carpet poses and when she does do a more cursory, performative peck we can see Paul's lips purse as though he prefers a more down-to-earth look.

'But there is another moment when Gracie leans up too plant a more bestowed kiss on his cheek and he receives the fan-girl signal with an asymmetric grin to the camera of a guy who just got lucky in love.'

During the ceremony, rapper Stormzy announced that Hamnet had won Outstanding British Film.

The camera then cut to the Hamnet cast and crew, and Paul was seen leaning in to give Gracie a smooch.

According to Judi, Paul displayed a down-to-earth and casual seating pose in the auditorium while Gracie 'hung off his arm in a gesture of loving possession'. 

She said: 'Paul's' seating pose is equally down to earth and casual in the auditorium and suggests open sociability with his co-star sitting just a seat away. 

'Gracie hangs off his arm here though in a gesture of loving possession and pride with both hands encircling his bicep and her fingers meshed to suggest strong bonds.

'The biggest relationship 'tell' is always shown when an award is announced though, when the partnership pecking order is defined by the order of the congratulatory kiss and the passion of it.

'When the film Hamnet is called out as best British movie Gracie pushes Paul's arm in congratulation and their very public kiss seems to seal the deal in terms of any relationship hard launch. 

'Paul makes this quick kiss a moment of tender affection, pausing and turning to perform a lip kiss with his hand gently cupping Gracie's face, showing how much of a priority she is in his life now.'

Indeed, it appears like Gracie is very much now a priority for Paul, who revealed in a recent interview his plans to 'slow down' his career to prioritise loved ones.

Reflecting on turning 30, he told British GQ: 'I really enjoyed the rhythm I've been working at. I think that process began when I was 23 and I'm now turning 30.

'I can feel myself wanting to slow down a bit more and certain priorities come in where I spend my time, whether that's with my family or with my partner or with friends.'

The actor, who rarely discusses his romance with singer Gracie, continued: 'I've never had a desire to really spend my time anywhere else other than work up until this point...

'And now I do have a desire to not spend my time necessarily in a rehearsal room or on set.'

Paul's revelation that he wants to spend more time on his relationships comes after he told Rolling Stone last autumn that he has hopes of one day being a dad.

'I would love to have a family,' he said at the time. 'I'm not like, "I want them tomorrow," but I would love to have kids.'

Paul and Gracie were first spotted together publicly in June 2024 when they were pictured sharing an intimate date at BRAT Restaurant in London.

Onlookers revealed at the time that 'they were kissing a lot'.

An insider told People Magazine in August the two were 'hooking up and it's in the early stages'.

During their inaugural summer together they attended a string of UK festivals and were spotted on low key London dates. 

Fast forward to October 2024 and Paul publicly showed his support for his singer girlfriend's career by showing up at her New York concert, where he was spotted singing and dancing. 

Despite their increasingly public romance, Paul has remained protective of his private life, saying last October: 'I'm not comfortable inviting any access into that part of my life. 

'How I am in my private life is so precious to me because I get very little of it.'