The BBC has come under fire for not editing out a racial slur yelled by an attendee with Tourette syndrome while Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage in London on Sunday at the BAFTA Film Awards.
The incident occurred while Jordan and Lindo, the stars of Sinners, took the stage to present the first award of the night. Before the actors announced the winner for best visual special effects, John Davidson, a Tourette’s campaigner and the inspiration behind the acclaimed film I Swear, was heard saying the N-word.
The BBC was widely criticized for including the slur during its broadcast of the award ceremony. The footage was available on the BBC iPlayer until this morning, according to Deadline. In the U.S., the footage aired on E! and was also not cut, per NBC News.
A BBC spokesperson said, “Some viewers may have heard strong and offensive language during the BAFTA Film Awards 2026. This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette syndrome and was not intentional. We apologise for any offense caused by the language heard.”
Actor Alan Cumming, who hosted the award show, also apologized during the ceremony.
“You may have heard some strong and offensive language tonight. If you have seen the film I Swear, you will know that film is about the experience of a person with Tourette syndrome,” he said.
“Tourette syndrome is a disability, and the tics you have heard tonight are involuntary, which means the person who has Tourette syndrome has no control over their language. We apologise if you were offended,” he added later in the broadcast.
Davidson was heard swearing throughout the 79th annual BAFTA Film Awards. According to Variety, he reportedly shouted “shut the f--- up” when BAFTA Chair Sara Putt delivered her opening remarks, and said “f--- you” while the directors of Boong accepted the BAFTA for best children’s and family film.
The Scottish campaigner’s life and challenges with Tourette’s were chronicled in I Swear, which won several BAFTAs, including best leading actor for Robert Aramayo.
Asked at a press conference about Davidson’s outbursts, Aramayo said, “First of all they are tics. He is ticking. We have to understand. The way we perceive Tourette’s is a joint responsibility. It’s not shouting obscenities. It’s not being abusive. It’s Tourette’s. They are tics. If it can lead to a deeper understanding of Tourette’s, and movies are part of that conversation, then it’s an incredible thing.”
During his acceptance speech for EE Rising Star award, Aramayo said Davidson is “the most remarkable man I ever met.”
“He’s so forthcoming with education and he believes there should be still so much more we need to learn about Tourette’s,” he said. “Especially, I just want to say for people who are living with Tourette’s it’s the buzz around them that helped define what their experience is so, to quote the film, ‘They need support and understanding.’”
Davidson reportedly left the ceremony of his own accord about 25 minutes into the event, according to Variety. He was not asked to leave by BAFTA. Prior to the ceremony, guests were notified that they may hear Davidson’s tics, according to The Hollywood Reporter, which said a floor manager welcomed attendees by saying, “John has Tourette syndrome, so please be aware you might hear some involuntary noises or movements during the ceremony.”
The incident sparked heavy debate. Actors Jamie Foxx and Wendell Pierce condemned the event. Pierce wrote on X, “It’s infuriating that the first reaction wasn’t complete and full throated apologies to Delroy Lindo and Michael B. Jordan. The insult to them takes priority. It doesn’t matter the reasoning for the racist slur.”
Sinners’ production designer Hannah Beachler criticized the “throwaway apology”—quoting Cumming saying, “if you were offended.” “I know we must handle this with grace and continue to push through,” Beachler wrote on X.
The BBC is facing widespread criticism in the wake of the broadcast, particularly after it edited out a portion of an acceptance speech in which a filmmaker said, “Free Palestine.” While Wale Davies and Akinola Davies Jr. accepted the BAFTA for best British debut for My Father’s Shadow, Davies Jr. closed his speech with, “Archive your loved ones. Archive your stories yesterday, today, and forever. For Nigeria, for London, the Congo, Sudan, free Palestine.” This part of his speech was cut from the broadcast. The BBC told Deadline that the ceremony’s three-hour run-time is “reduced” to two hours.
“The same happened to other speeches made during the night and all edits were made to ensure the program was delivered to time,” a spokesperson told Deadline, adding that all the winners’ speeches, in full, are available on YouTube.
