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During the Bafta Film Awards ceremony held on February 22, 2026, an incident involving the use of racial slurs disrupted the broadcast. John Davidson, a campaigner for Tourette’s syndrome, uttered the N-word while actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting an award on stage. Although the broadcast attempted to edit out offensive language, one racial slur unfortunately remained audible during the televised event. The BBC’s chief content officer, Kate Phillips, acknowledged this error and extended an apology, emphasizing the distress caused by the broadcast of the offensive term.
Phillips explained that while another racial slur had been successfully removed from the broadcast, the slur heard when Jordan and Lindo were on stage slipped through due to a production oversight. The Bafta ceremony was shown on BBC One with a two-hour delay, allowing producers to edit the show to fit the allotted broadcast slot. However, those controlling the live feed from the production truck did not catch the slur at the time it was shouted, resulting in its unintended airing. Phillips noted that the use of the N-word on BBC television is exceptionally rare and usually requires explicit approval from a channel controller.
The BBC took full responsibility for the incident and removed the ceremony from its iPlayer service once the issue was identified. In her message to staff, Phillips reminded them that attendees at the awards had been forewarned about the possible involuntary verbal tics related to Tourette syndrome, and host Alan Cumming addressed the issue during the broadcast. Nonetheless, she acknowledged that this explanation does not diminish the impact or upset caused by the slur’s airing. The live ceremony had begun at 17:00 GMT, with the edited broadcast following at 19:00 GMT, and was made available on iPlayer after the broadcast concluded.
In response, Bafta issued a statement expressing regret for the harm caused by the incident and offered an unreserved apology to Michael B. Jordan, Delroy Lindo, and all those affected. The organisation praised both actors for their professionalism and dignity in handling the situation and also acknowledged Davidson’s own grace amidst the distressing moment. Lindo later told Vanity Fair that while he and Jordan continued with their roles during the presentation, he wished someone from Bafta had followed up with them afterward. Reports emerged that a Warner Bros. representative, representing the studio behind the film Sinners starring both actors, lodged a complaint with Bafta immediately after the slur was heard and had been assured the matter would be addressed with the BBC. Bafta confirmed ongoing discussions with involved parties and assured members that a thorough review of the incident is underway. Responding personally, Davidson expressed remorse and clarified that his involuntary tics were never intended to offend, reaffirming his lifelong commitment to supporting the Tourette’s community with empathy and understanding. He also shared that he left the ceremony early upon realizing the distress his tics were causing others
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