Social media is far from speechless after the BBC aired the moment a BAFTA Awards guest with Tourette’s yelled the n-word at two Black acting icons. Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo. During Black History Month? The BBC is under fire and has already spoken out. But the guest, John Davidson, who is white, is sitting in the flames! Black Twitter and similar spaces on other social sites are sounding off, feeling disrespected, and in some cases, suggesting violence. Meanwhile, Black creators and people diagnosed with Tourette’s are shedding light on the syndrome and shutting down debates about whether Davidson chose to be “racist.”
RELATED: Videos Showed Shia LaBeouf Cuttin’ Up In New Orleans, Now Police Say He Used Slurs During His Attacks’
UPDATE: Delroy Lindo Speaks On BAFTA Awards Moment
On Sunday (Feb. 22), Delroy Lindo spoke to Vanity Fair at an afterparty. He opened up about how he and MBJ had to play cool. Lindo told the publisher that he and his co-star, Michael B., “did what we had to do” after hearing the N-word across the room. Also, the actor said he wished “someone from BAFTA spoke to them afterward. This suggests that no one from BAFTA or the BBC spoke directly to Delroy or MBJ about what happened after they left the stage. The BBC and the arts collective haven’t addressed Lindo’s comments. Michael B. Jordan has not publicly addressed the incident.
Variety previously reported that John Davidson had shouted other obscenities during the awards show, including “shut the f*ck up” during an intro speech and “f*ck you” during a win for a family and kids’ movie.
BAFTA Awards Hosts Apologize To Anyone “Offended” By N-Word Use
Britain’s film academy and the BBC apologized to viewers after an audience member with Tourette syndrome shouted a racial slur during the BAFTA (British Academy Film) Awards on Sunday. He used the n-word at the end. John Davidson appeared to have the tic while Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting. The ‘Sinners’ stars were mid-presentation for the award for best visual effects.
Before the incident, the BAFTA Awards host, Alan Cumming, told the audience about John Davidson. He is the Scottish campaigner for people with Tourette’s who inspired the BAFTA-nominated film ‘I Swear.’ It’s unclear if the n-word use was the only moment during the show that Davidson had an outburst. After the moment, Cumming apologized to the audience at London’s Royal Festival Hall for the “strong and offensive language.”
“Tourette syndrome is a disability and the tics you have heard tonight are involuntary, which means the person who has Tourette syndrome has no control over their language,” Cumming said. “We apologize if you were offended.”
UPDATE: BBC Reacts To Airing Slur Use, The Shade Room Obtains Statement
When media asked for comment on Monday, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts referred to Alan Cumming’s statement. They have not addressed why the slur use was not edited out of the pre-recorded show before airing. The n-word could be heard when the BBC broadcast the BAFTA Awards about two hours after the live event. The broadcaster apologized Monday, but the n-word could still be heard on the broadcaster’s streaming site.
“This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette syndrome, and was not intentional,” the BBC said in a statement. “We apologize for any offense caused by the language heard.”
BBC and BAFTA apologized after John Davidson, a Scottish campaigner for people with Tourette syndrome, shouted a racial slur during the ceremony. Robert Aramayo won best actor at the awards for playing Davidson in indie drama 'I Swear.' pic.twitter.com/Imf1ETLSqG
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 23, 2026
In an additional statement obtained by The Shade Room, the BBC apologized for not editing out the racial slur before airing the program. It also said it planned to update the show on their online platform.
“Some viewers may have heard strong and offensive language during the BAFTA Film Awards. This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette syndrome, and as explained during the ceremony it was not intentional. We apologize that this was not edited out prior to broadcast and it will now be removed from the version on BBC iPlayer.”
TSR also inquired about why “Free Palestine” was edited out of Akinola Davies Jr.’s speech, but the n-word used was not. BBC has not responded to the inquiry.
