During the February 22, 2026 BAFTA Film Awards ceremony at London's Royal Festival Hall, John Davidson—a Scottish Tourette syndrome campaigner whose life inspired the film 'I Swear'—involuntarily shouted the N-word while actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting the award for best visual effects. Davidson has Tourette syndrome with coprolalia, a symptom affecting 10-15% of people with Tourette's that causes involuntary utterances of profanities and socially inappropriate language. Host Alan Cumming had warned the audience before the ceremony that Davidson was present and might make involuntary noises. Davidson also shouted other profanities during the evening and chose to leave the auditorium early.
The BBC broadcast the ceremony approximately two hours after the live event and did not edit out the racial slur, which remained available on their iPlayer streaming platform until Monday morning. Cumming addressed the incident twice during the ceremony, explaining that Tourette syndrome is a disability and the tics are involuntary. The BBC later apologized for not editing out the slur before broadcast. Davidson released a statement Monday saying he was 'deeply mortified' and that his tics are 'not a reflection of my personal beliefs.' BAFTA issued an apology to Jordan and Lindo specifically, thanking them for their 'incredible dignity and professionalism.'
The incident prompted debate online and among entertainment figures. Some criticized the handling and apologies as insufficient, while others emphasized the involuntary nature of Tourette's tics. Notably, the BBC edited out filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr.'s 'Free Palestine' comment from the same broadcast, raising questions about editorial choices.
