BBC pulls BAFTAs from iPlayer after airing unedited racial slur

Racial Slur Incident at 2026 BAFTAs Sparks Backlash Over BBC’s Failure to Edit Broadcast

The 79th British Academy Film Awards ceremony was thrown into turmoil on Sunday evening when a racial slur was shouted from the audience as actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo took the stage at London’s Royal Festival Hall, igniting a controversy that has since engulfed both BAFTA and the BBC.

The slur was involuntarily uttered by John Davidson, a 62-year-old Scottish Tourette syndrome campaigner whose life inspired the BAFTA-nominated film I Swear. Davidson, who was diagnosed with the condition after developing tics as a teenager, had been introduced to the audience before the ceremony began, with attendees warned that involuntary sounds or language might occur. Despite the broadcast airing on a roughly two-hour delay, the BBC failed to edit the slur from the programme, drawing sharp criticism.variety

Host Apology and Ceremony Fallout

Jordan and Lindo, stars of Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, were presenting the evening’s first award for best visual effects when the outburst occurred. Both actors appeared visibly startled but continued with their presentation. Host Alan Cumming paused the ceremony twice to address Davidson’s tics, which also included other expletives shouted during earlier segments.kiro7

“Tourette syndrome is a disability, and the tics you’ve heard tonight are involuntary, which means the person who has Tourette syndrome has no control over their language,” Cumming told the audience, which included the Prince and Princess of Wales. “We apologize if you were offended.”abc7news

Davidson left the auditorium of his own accord partway through the ceremony. Sources confirmed to Variety that he was not asked to leave and was an “invited guest.” He later returned to celebrate when Robert Aramayo, who portrays him in I Swear, won the BAFTA for best actor, beating Timothée Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio.hollywoodreporter

BBC Under Fire for Broadcast Failure

The BBC removed the ceremony from its iPlayer streaming service on Monday morning after the unedited footage remained available overnight. “We apologize that this was not edited out prior to broadcast and it will now be removed from the version on BBC iPlayer,” the corporation said in a statement.deadline

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch called the decision not to bleep the slur a “horrible mistake,” telling Good Morning Britain that Jordan and Lindo “are the ones who need the biggest apology.” Ed Palmer, vice chairman of the charity Tourettes Action, also suggested the BBC should have censored the slur, calling it “a really acute example of where something that is a disability can cause quite understandably huge amounts of offense.”abc7news

A Complicated Conversation

Tourettes Action defended Davidson while acknowledging the harm caused. “Tics are involuntary. They do not reflect a person’s beliefs, intentions, or character,” a spokesperson said, describing the backlash against Davidson as “deeply saddening.”the-independent

Aramayo, speaking to reporters after his win, urged a broader understanding. “It’s not shouting obscenities. It’s not being abusive. It’s Tourette’s. They are tics,” the actor said. “If it can lead to a deeper understanding of Tourette’s, and movies are part of that conversation, then it’s an incredible thing.”ladbible