Posted in: BBC, Movies, Opinion, TV, TV | Tagged: BAFTA Awards, opinion
It doesn’t seem E! edited the moment when Tourette syndrome campaigner John Davidson yelled the N-word at Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo.
Earlier today, an incident happened during the 2026 BAFTA Awards that continues to spark debate on social media. Tourette syndrome campaigner John Davidson, who is spotlighted in the film I Swear (and portrayed by BAFTA winner Robert Aramayo), was in attendance for the awards ceremony, and several of his tics were picked up and could be heard during the broadcast. For example, during BAFTA chair Sara Putt‘s opening comments, Davidson could be heard yelling “f**k off” and “boring.” The moment that ignited the biggest reaction was when Sinners stars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo took to the stage to present the award for Best Visual Effects to Avatar: Fire and Ash, with Davidson yelling the N-word during their remarks.
Awards ceremony host Alan Cumming addressed Davidson’s outbursts on two occasions during the broadcast, noting at one point, “You may have noticed some strong language in the background. This can be part of how Tourette’s syndrome shows up for some people as the film explores that experience. Thanks for your understanding and helping create a respectful space for everyone.” Later on, Cumming would address the topic again, adding: “Tourette’s Syndrome is a disability and the tics you’ve heard tonight are involuntary, which means the person who has Tourette’s Syndrome has no control over their language. We apologize if you are offended tonight.”
Earlier today, we called out the BBC and BAFTA for probably the biggest headscratcher in all of this. According to the BBC website, “The ceremony starts at 17:00, two hours before its TV broadcast begins, which means winners will be reported in the news and on social media before being seen on television.” If that’s the case, then some serious follow-up is needed from both parties regarding why Davidson’s comments couldn’t have been edited out or at least bleeped. While we assumed that E! Entertainment would edit/bleep the word when it re-aired the ceremony this evening, we checked it out just in case. After rewinding and listening four times and giving someone else the opportunity to listen, either the N-word wasn’t removed, or it was edited/bleeped in such a way that it left little to the imagination. Why Davidson’s tic couldn’t have been removed completely before tonight’s re-airing, several hours after it originally aired and in the midst of the growing controversy, is another question in need of an answer.
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