Jonte Richardson quits after Bafta broadcast airs N-word during Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo presentation

jonte richardson resigned from his role as a Bafta judge after an audible racial slur was heard on the televised Bafta ceremony while Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting an award. The decision follows rapid exchanges between studios, the awards body and broadcasters and comes amid apologies, an edited re-upload and the removal of an offensive AI-generated notification.

Warner Bros raised the N-word with Bafta immediately

Warner Bros executives say they reacted straight away after the slur was yelled while two Black stars of their film Sinners were on stage, and they formally asked Bafta for the moment to be removed from the telecast. The studio was told the request would be passed to the and remained in close contact with Bafta throughout the evening, meeting Bafta representatives on Monday morning.

's Kate Phillips details editing, timings and iPlayer action

Kate Phillips, the 's chief content officer, emailed staff on Tuesday reiterating an apology and acknowledging the edit team removed another racial slur from the broadcast while an N-word was aired in error during the Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo appearance. The ceremony began at 17: 00 GMT, was shown on One on a two-hour delay, and the broadcast concluded at 21: 00 GMT; when the ceremony was later available on iPlayer it was removed at around 11: 30 on Monday morning after the became aware the slur was audible on that platform.

Phillips explained that award attendees had been pre-warned about the possibility of involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette syndrome and that host Alan Cumming addressed the matter during the broadcast. She said the took full responsibility and that, once told the word was audible on iPlayer, she asked for the recording to be taken down.

Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo onstage moment and the Tourette campaigner

The shout came from Tourette syndrome campaigner John Davidson while Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting the award for best visual effects. The shout was audible in the broadcast, although many viewers would have struggled to make out the word. Coverage also included content provided by Instagram, which requires user permission before loading.

Several other instances of inappropriate language were removed from the telecast, yet this particular moment was missed by editors. producers overseeing the ceremony were working from a TV truck and did not hear the shout, a factor that has been cited in explaining why the edit did not occur before the delayed transmission.

Jonte Richardson resigns from Bafta judging role

Jonte Richardson quit his role as a Bafta judge on Tuesday, citing the handling of the incident as "utterly unforgivable. " The resignation followed Bafta's statement on Monday evening taking "full responsibility, " apologising to guests and offering an unreserved apology to Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo, whom the body thanked for their "incredible dignity and professionalism. " jonte richardson's departure adds to mounting institutional fallout after the ceremony.

Google apology and wider reactions

Google removed an AI-generated prompt that accompanied a link to an article about the incident and apologised, saying it was "deeply sorry for this mistake" and that it had removed the offensive notification and was working to prevent a recurrence. Political and industry responses have been vocal: Labour MP Dawn Butler called for an "urgent explanation, " saying the broadcast of the N-word was "painful and unforgivable, " and the New Black Film Collective and MP Dawn Butler echoed unclear in the provided context.

The timing matters because the two-hour broadcast delay is intended to allow editorial teams to excise offensive material; in this case, working arrangements — editors operating from a TV truck and the decision to fit the ceremony into a two-hour slot — appear to have combined to allow an involuntary verbal tic to reach the audience. What makes this notable is the chain of immediate studio intervention, broadcaster apologies and the rare step of a judge quitting, all unfolding within roughly 48 hours of the live ceremony.