BAFTAs Host Alan Cumming Apologizes After F-Bombs & Racial Slur From Tourette Syndrome Activist John Davidson

Alan Cumming issued an apology to the audience during the 2026 BAFTAs ceremony on Sunday night (February 22) after John Davidson, an advocate for Tourette syndrome (Ts), was heard shouting involuntary expletives and a racial slur. Davidson attended the ceremony to represent the film I Swear, based on his life and experiences with Ts. The condition, which Davidson has lived with since age 12, causes involuntary verbal and physical tics. Davidson’s Ts also includes Coprolalia, which involves the uncontrollable utterance of culturally taboo or insensitive words and phrases. According to Variety, the BAFTAs stage manager introduced Davidson to the audience before the show and explained that they might hear some “involuntary noises or movements” during the ceremony.