John Davidson's BAFTA Racial Slur

During the BAFTA Film Awards on February 22, 2026, John Davidson, a Tourette's campaigner and executive producer of the film 'I Swear', experienced an involuntary tic and shouted a racial slur while Michael Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting an award. The incident, which was initially broadcast by the BBC, led to significant backlash. John Davidson later issued a statement expressing deep mortification and explaining the involuntary nature of his tics, thanking the British Academy of Film and Television Arts for their support. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts also issued a public apology to Michael Jordan and Delroy Lindo, taking full responsibility for the situation and pledging to learn from it. The BBC apologized for not editing out the slur from its broadcast and subsequently removed it from the iPlayer version. Robert Aramayo, who starred in 'I Swear', defended John Davidson, emphasizing the need for greater understanding of Tourette syndrome. Charities like Tourettes Action and Tourette s Scotland also called for empathy and education regarding the condition.