At the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards, a racial slur uttered aloud by guest John Davidson — who has Tourette’s syndrome — was heard during the BBC One broadcast and was not removed from the two-hour delayed transmission. The audible incident occurred while Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting an award; the BBC has since apologised and removed the clip from iPlayer. BAFTA also apologised to the actors and said it will review its handling of the situation. The episode prompted immediate public reaction and fresh discussion about broadcast safeguards and public understanding of Tourette’s.
- The slur was audible during the BBC One two-hour delayed broadcast and remained on BBC iPlayer on Monday morning before being removed; the broadcaster apologised for failing to edit it out prior to air.
- John Davidson, a Tourette’s campaigner from Galashiels who was awarded an MBE in 2019, shouted the word while Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage; Davidson left the auditorium part-way through the ceremony.
- BAFTA said the offensive utterance arose from involuntary vocal tics associated with Tourette’s and apologised unreservedly to those affected, acknowledging duty-of-care shortcomings.
- Tourette’s Action estimates that between 10% and 30% of people with Tourette’s may have coprolalia — tics that can include socially unacceptable words — a minority but well-documented subset.
- Several industry figures and politicians criticised the BBC for not bleeping or editing the broadcast immediately; Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called it “a horrible mistake” and sought an explanation.
- Presenters continued the ceremony; Delroy Lindo later said on record that he and Jordan “did what we had to do” while also regretting a lack of post-event outreach from BAFTA.
- Separately, the BBC edited down multiple acceptance speeches for time — including a remark of “Free Palestine” from a winning director — citing the need to reduce a three-hour live event to a two-hour broadcast slot.
Background
The BAFTA Film Awards are a high-profile annual ceremony that attracts global attention and complex broadcast arrangements; this year’s event was transmitted on BBC One on a two-hour delay to allow editorial editing. Award shows routinely balance live atmosphere with post-production checks, but broadcasters also face logistical limits when compressing three-hour events into fixed airtime slots. BAFTA had informed attendees in advance about the presence of a guest known to vocalise involuntary tics, reflecting an intention to include people with disabilities while managing expectations.
John Davidson’s life inspired the film I Swear, which explores his experience growing up with Tourette’s in 1980s Scotland; the film and its lead actor, Robert Aramayo, were recognized at the ceremony. Davidson, who received an MBE in 2019 for his advocacy, has been public about living with coprolalia and the social backlash it can provoke. Tourette’s syndrome is a neurological condition marked by involuntary movements or sounds, and public understanding of its rarer manifestations varies considerably across audiences and media.
Main Event
During the award for a category presented early in the ceremony, a loud involuntary vocal tic from Davidson, which included a profoundly offensive racial term, was audible in the auditorium and on the delayed broadcast. Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage at the time and continued presenting; BAFTA and those on stage later expressed that they wished for more direct engagement with the affected actors after the incident. The BBC acknowledged that some viewers may have heard the language and apologised for not editing it out before broadcast; the clip was removed from iPlayer after the oversight was identified.
BAFTA issued a statement saying it had sought to begin “from a position of inclusion,” that staff had tried to inform attendees about the guest’s presence, and that it apologised unreservedly to Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo for the harm caused. The organisation said it would learn from the episode and reaffirmed its commitment to inclusion while accepting responsibility for the difficult situation put on guests. Davidson left the event early and BAFTA thanked him for his consideration, while also acknowledging that its duty of care needed review.
The broadcast edits also affected other moments: several winners’ speeches were shortened for air, including a director’s closing comment referencing “Free Palestine” which was not carried in the BBC output. The BBC explained the program had to be reduced for its scheduled two-hour on-air window and that winners’ full speeches would be available through BAFTA’s YouTube channel. Those explanations did little to stem criticism over why the slur was not bleeped before transmission.
Analysis & Implications
This incident sits at the intersection of disability inclusion, editorial responsibility and live-event production. Broadcasters increasingly rely on delayed feeds to remove offensive content, but the failure here highlights operational gaps: either the delay was insufficiently monitored, or editorial protocols did not catch the utterance. For high-profile awards, even a small lapse can produce significant reputational damage to both the broadcaster and the event organiser.
There are competing obligations. BAFTA and the BBC must balance accessibility and inclusion — enabling attendance by people with disabilities — with safeguards that protect attendees and viewers from harmful language. That balance requires clear, rehearsed protocols, staff training, and contingency plans for immediate post-production or on-air bleeping. Critics argue that inclusion cannot be an excuse for inadequate planning when the predictable risk of offensive tics is known in advance.
The episode may also influence public understanding of Tourette’s. Experts and campaigners emphasise that coprolalia is involuntary and not reflective of a person’s beliefs, but public reactions often focus on the content of words rather than the neurological context. This mismatch can compound harm for people with Tourette’s who already face stigma, even as some commentators see the moment as an opportunity to educate audiences about the condition’s realities.
Comparison & Data
| Item | Figure / Note |
|---|---|
| Broadcast delay | Event live length ~3 hours; BBC on-air slot 2 hours (edits required) |
| Coprolalia prevalence | Estimated 10%–30% of people with Tourette’s (Tourette’s Action) |
The table highlights two relevant quantitative pressures: time constraints that force producers to trim content, and the clinical statistic that frames how common vocal tics involving profanity are among those with Tourette’s. Taken together, they show why editorial systems must be both timely and informed by disability expertise to avoid harm while maintaining inclusion.
Reactions & Quotes
“We apologise that this was not edited out prior to broadcast and it will now be removed from the version on BBC iPlayer.”
BBC spokesperson (apology on broadcast handling)
“We apologise unreservedly to Michael and Delroy for the harm caused; we take full responsibility and will learn from this.”
BAFTA statement (official response)
“They’re tics … it’s Tourette’s and they’re involuntary.”
Robert Aramayo, lead actor in I Swear (comment on condition)
These short statements encapsulate the official lines: the broadcaster’s immediate apology, BAFTA’s acceptance of responsibility and a call for public understanding voiced by the film’s lead. Public figures including Kemi Badenoch, Wendell Pierce and Jamie Foxx criticised the lack of a clear, immediate apology to the actors involved; production designer Hannah Beachler described personal impact and called attention to the perceived insufficiency of an on-air “if you were offended” remark.
Unconfirmed
- Whether editorial staff monitored the two-hour delay in real time and missed the tic, or whether the delay was not intended as an active censorship window, remains unclear.
- Reports that BAFTA alerted attendees in advance of the guest’s tics are based on the organisation’s statement; the content and reach of any prior notifications to individual guests have not been independently verified.
Bottom Line
The BAFTAs incident crystallises a wider challenge: how to combine inclusion of people with disabilities with robust editorial safeguards in high-stakes live events. Both BAFTA and the BBC have apologised and acknowledged failures; the immediate reputational cost is significant, but the longer-term imperative is operational reform — clearer protocols, better training, and faster post-production and communications responses.
For the public, the episode is also a moment to refine understanding of Tourette’s and coprolalia. Media organisations and arts institutions should treat inclusion as a duty requiring preparation rather than a one-off accommodation. How BAFTA and broadcasters change procedures after this episode will matter for future events, public trust and the lived experience of people with neurological conditions who take part in public life.
Sources
- BBC News — (news report summarising event and statements)
- BAFTA — (official organisation statements and press information)
- Tourette’s Action — (charity/advocacy information on Tourette’s and coprolalia)