Jamie Foxx: Baftas Roiled as Guest With Tourette's Shouts Racial Slur, Broadcaster Apologises and Cuts Acceptance Speech
The Bafta Film Awards were dominated by controversy after John Davidson, whose life inspired the film I Swear, shouted a racial slur while Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage presenting—an outburst that remained on the broadcaster's delayed two-hour TV edit and its streaming service before it was removed. Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx: why the name appears amid awards-night fallout
The inclusion of the name Jamie Foxx in search and headline lines reflects the broader attention the ceremony drew; the central facts remain that a racial slur was audible during the televised awards while two Black actors presented, and the broadcaster later apologised for not editing the moment out prior to broadcast.
What happened on stage
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 while Sinners stars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting. The context describes the outburst as occurring while they presented an award; the same context also describes it as the first prize of the ceremony and as the award for best visual effects. The shout was audible in the broadcast, though the coverage notes that many viewers would have struggled to make out the exact word. Davidson's involuntary tics could be heard several times during the ceremony, and he shouted loudly several times before and during the event.
Broadcaster response and edits
The broadcaster apologised that the slur was not edited out prior to the on-air transmission and said the segment would be removed from its streaming version. The ceremony had been shown on a two-hour delay and the offensive moment nevertheless remained on the broadcaster's streaming service on the morning after the ceremony before being taken down. The broadcaster declined to comment further on why the material was not initially edited or bleeped out.
Acceptance speech cuts and political lines
The filmmakers Wale Davies and Akinola Davies Jr. won the award for outstanding British debut for My Father’s Shadow, but a section of Akinola Davies Jr. 's acceptance speech was removed from the televised edit. His closing remarks had included a dedication that named multiple migrant experiences and concluded with the words "free Palestine. " The televised edit replaced that passage with a shorter thanks to family and his brother Wale. The broadcaster explained that the live event ran three hours and needed reducing to a two-hour on-air slot and that edits were made to ensure the programme was delivered to time; it also said that all winners' speeches would be made available on the awards' official online channel. The broadcaster had prepared for politically charged speeches, mindful of a previous national controversy when a musical act at a festival chanted a political slogan during a streamed performance.
Reactions from politicians, nominees and attendees
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch called the broadcaster's failure to edit the slur "a horrible mistake, " saying an apology was important and that an explanation was needed for why it was not bleeped out. Delroy Lindo said he and Michael B. Jordan "did what we had to do" while presenting and added he wished "someone from Bafta spoke to us afterward. " After the incident Davidson appeared to remove himself from the theatre. Sinners production designer Hannah Beachler posted on social media that the 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. " Johnston Davidson said he was "deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning" and emphasised his lifelong work supporting the Tourette's community.
Medical context and ceremony aftermath
Tourette's is characterised by sudden, involuntary and repetitive movements or sounds known as tics. Between 10% and 30% of people with the condition have tics that produce socially unacceptable words such as swearing, a phenomenon known as coprolalia. Bafta issued a statement acknowledging the "harm this has caused, " saying it would address what happened and apologise to all. At a dinner hosted for nominees and guests, attendees were reportedly discussing the incident throughout the evening.
Ceremony results and mood after the night
Despite the controversy, other awards and winners were noted: Robert Aramayo, star of I Swear, won the rising-star award and also the lead-actor prize over front-runners Timothée Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio; Wunmi Mosaku won the award for best supporting actress and was seen speaking with Delroy Lindo at an after-party. Ryan Coogler won best original screenplay and gave a heartfelt speech about community and support. The text in the provided coverage ends with the fragment "Prince Willi"—unclear in the provided context.
Jamie Foxx
Recent updates indicate these are the confirmed elements of the awards-night controversy and the broadcaster's subsequent actions; details may evolve as the awards organisation and the broadcaster provide fuller statements.
