Jamie Foxx Mention Unclear as BAFTAs Are Roiled by Tourette’s Outburst, Broadcast Edits and Protest Cuts
Recent coverage of the BAFTA Film Awards features a confrontation between involuntary vocal tics and broadcast decisions that has drawn apologies and complaints — and the involvement of jamie foxx is unclear in the provided context. The incident, plus separate edits to acceptance speeches, has prompted public and industry reactions that the awards broadcaster and body are still addressing.
How the Tourette’s outburst unfolded at the awards
During a presentation of a prize, John Davidson — whose life story inspired the film I Swear — shouted a racial slur while the Sinners stars Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage. Davidson, a Tourette’s campaigner from Galashiels in Scotland who was made an MBE in 2019, shouted loudly several times before and during the ceremony; his tics could be heard multiple times during the event. After the episode, Davidson appeared to remove himself from the theatre. He later said he was deeply mortified if anyone considered his involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning, and he stated he will continue to support and empower the Tourette’s community.
Broadcaster response and editing decisions
The broadcaster apologised for not editing the racial slur out of the awards coverage prior to transmission and has removed the ceremony from its on-demand service following the broadcast. The awards show had been shown on a two-hour delay; the outburst was audible in the broadcast though many viewers would have struggled to make out the word. The broadcaster declined to comment further on why the segment was not initially edited or bleeped out.
Political and public reactions
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch called the failure to edit the slur out "a horrible mistake, " and said an apology was important and that an explanation was needed for why it wasn’t bleeped out at the time. The awards body also acknowledged the harm caused, said it will address what happened, and apologised to all affected.
Host intervention, context about Tourette’s, and community response
The incident followed an opening monologue from the host, during which Davidson was observed involuntarily ticking; the audience had been informed of his condition before the show began. The host publicly explained from the stage that strong language can be part of how Tourette’s syndrome presents for some people and thanked the room for understanding. Tourette’s is characterised by sudden, involuntary and repetitive movements or sounds known as tics; a cited statistic places the share of people with tics that produce socially unacceptable words — coprolalia — between 10% and 30%. A production designer on Sinners wrote on social media that the behaviour happened three times that night and that one of those instances was directed at her on the way to dinner after the show.
Edited acceptance speech and wider editorial choices
Separately, the acceptance speech for outstanding British debut by filmmakers Wale Davies and Akinola Davies Jr. was edited for the broadcast. The winner’s closing remarks, which culminated in the phrase "free Palestine, " were removed from the on-air edit and replaced in the broadcast with a shorter thank-you to family and the winner’s brother. The broadcaster explained that the live event ran three hours and had to be reduced to a two-hour on-air slot, and that similar edits were made to other speeches to ensure the programme was delivered to time. The broadcaster said winners’ speeches would remain available the awards body’s online channels.
Aftermath in the room and awards-night outcomes
At post-ceremony gatherings, Delroy Lindo said he and Michael B Jordan "did what we had to do" while presenting but wished someone from the awards body had spoken to them afterward. Lindo was later in good spirits at an after-party, where he chatted with Wunmi Mosaku, who won best supporting actress. Michael B Jordan attended an industry after-party briefly and was listed as one of the event’s hosts. The awards body also hosted a dinner for nominees and guests where the incident was widely discussed.
Beyond the controversy, Robert Aramayo — star of the film inspired by Davidson’s life — won both a rising-star award and the lead-actor prize over front-runners Timothée Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio. Ryan Coogler won best original screenplay and used his speech to speak about the role of community in his work.
Recent developments indicate this remains a live issue for the broadcaster and the awards body; details may evolve as they continue to address the fallout. The role of jamie foxx in any of these events is unclear in the provided context.
