John Davidson Outburst at BAFTAs Prompts BBC Apology and Broadcast Edits
john davidson, whose life inspired the film I Swear, shouted the N-word during the BAFTA Film Awards as Sinners stars Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo presented on stage, prompting a public apology from the for not editing the slur out of its coverage. The moment remained in the One broadcast shown on a two-hour delay and was available on iPlayer on Monday morning before the ceremony was later removed.
John Davidson and the outburst
John Davidson, a Tourette's campaigner from Galashiels in Scotland who was made an MBE in 2019 and whose life inspired I Swear, shouted the N-word as Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo presented the first prize of Sunday's ceremony. Other coverage described the same moment as occurring while the Sinners stars presented the award for best visual effects. The shout was audible in the broadcast, although many viewers would have struggled to make out the word.
apology and statements
The apologised that the racial slur was not edited out prior to broadcast. A spokesperson said: "We apologise that this was not edited out prior to broadcast and it will now be removed from the version on iPlayer. " In a separate statement the corporation said: "Some viewers may have heard strong and offensive language during the Bafta Film Awards. This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette syndrome, and as explained during the ceremony it was not intentional. " The corporation declined to comment further on why it wasn't initially edited or bleeped out. News has asked Bafta for comment.
Host remarks and audience reaction
Host Alan Cumming later addressed the theatre audience: "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's syndrome. Tourette's 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. " Guests in the auditorium gasped when the slur was yelled, and Michael B Jordan appeared visibly startled.
Tourette's context and statistics
Davidson's tics could be heard several times during the ceremony; he shouted loudly several times before and during the Bafta ceremony and left the event part-way through, reportedly of his own accord. Tourette's is characterised by sudden, involuntary and repetitive movements or sounds known as tics. The Tourette's Action charity notes that between 10% and 30% of people with the condition have tics that produce socially unacceptable words such as swearing.
Cuts to political speech and edits
Separately, filmmakers Wale Davies and Akinola Davies Jr. won the BAFTA Film Award for outstanding British debut on Sunday. Akinola Davies Jr. closed his winner's remarks by dedicating the award to "all those whose parents migrated to obtain a better life for their children, " and continued: "To the economic migrant. The conflict migrant. Those under occupation, dictatorship, persecution, and those experiencing genocide. You matter. Your stories matter more than ever. Your dreams are an act of resistance to those watching at home. Archive your loved ones. Archive your stories yesterday, today, and forever. For Nigeria, for London, the Congo, Sudan, free Palestine. " That section of Davies Jr. 's speech was removed from the broadcast; the edit instead featured Davies Jr. thanking his family and his brother, Wale, for "nurturing this spark. " A spokesperson said the live event is three hours and it has to be reduced to two hours for its on-air slot, and that the same happened to other speeches made during the night with all edits made to ensure the programme was delivered to time. The spokesperson added that all winners' speeches will be made available by BAFTA. Coverage noted the had prepared for politically charged speeches to avoid last year's national scandal when a Glastonbury performance included chanting of "death to the IDF. " Comment was also made that the broadcaster cut comments about Trump from the US broadcast but left in the N-word.
After-parties and industry reactions
After the ceremony, Delroy Lindo told Vanity Fair that he and Jordan "did what we had to do" as they carried on presenting the category, but also said he wished "someone from Bafta spoke to us afterward. " At a Warner Bros. after-party, Lindo was in good spirits and was seen chatting with his Sinners costar Wunmi Mosaku, who won the BAFTA for best supporting actress. Michael B Jordan attended an after-party thrown by British GQ and Vogue briefly, as he was listed as one of the event's hosts. Sinners production designer Hannah Beachler wrote on X that the Davidson situation "is almost impossible... it happened 3 times that night, and one of the three times was directed at myself on the way to dinner after the show. " Following the ceremony, BAFTA hosted a dinner for nominees and guests where many people were speaking about the incident.
Beyond the incident, the ceremony produced other notable winners: Robert Aramayo, star of I Swear, won the BAFTA rising-star award and also won the lead-actor prize over Timothée Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio. Ryan Coogler won best original screenplay and closed his speech by reflecting on community: "I come from a community that loves me and spoke a lot of power into me. They made me believe that I could do this. That I could be a writer. "
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch told Good Morning Britain that the had made "a horrible mistake" by not editing the slur out at the time, adding: "I think an apology is important, they need to explain why it wasn't bleeped out. "
john davidson's involuntary tics and the decision to leave the slur in the broadcast have become the central points of discussion from the BAFTA Film Awards, with broadcasters, presenters and guests all responding to the sequence of events.
