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John Davidson, a campaigner for Tourette’s awareness, has criticized the BBC for not doing enough to prevent his involuntary outburst containing a racial slur from being broadcast during the Bafta Film Awards. He also questioned the decision to seat him next to a microphone, given his condition. Davidson’s Tourette’s leads to uncontrollable vocal tics, and during Sunday’s ceremony, he uttered a racist slur while actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage.
In an interview with Variety, Davidson reflected on the placement of the microphone near his seat: “I remember there was a microphone just in front of me, and with hindsight I have to question whether this was wise, so close to where I was seated, knowing I would tic.” The BBC responded by apologizing for failing to edit out the offensive language prior to broadcast, stating that the words were involuntary verbal tics linked to Tourette’s syndrome, and confirmed that the slur was removed from the BBC iPlayer. They acknowledged that airing the incident was an error and emphasized that the slur “would never have knowingly” been allowed on air.
Davidson, who hails from Galashiels, Scotland, revealed that he emitted around ten different offensive words during the ceremony due to his tics, but reports have largely focused on the racial slur. He has since reached out to Warner Bros to personally apologize to Jordan, Lindo, and the production designer Hannah Beachler, who witnessed some of the slurs. Warner Bros also apologized for mistakenly displaying an offensive computer-generated caption during the event, removing it promptly and promising measures to prevent future occurrences.
Despite the difficulties, Davidson explained that he attended the ceremony as both the subject and executive producer of the film *I Swear*, which chronicles his experiences with Tourette’s and was nominated for several awards. Before the event, discussions took place between the studio and Bafta regarding his condition, with the understanding that swearing would be edited out. Davidson expressed disappointment in the BBC, noting his past work with the broadcaster and their failure to anticipate or manage his tics during the live broadcast. He said, “I also knew that as voting members, most people in the audience would have seen *I Swear* and would be well prepared, well educated and well informed about my condition.”
Davidson was visibly shaken by the incident, describing the tics as symptoms devoid of intent. He told Variety, “I want to be really clear that the intent behind them [the tics] is zero. What you’re hearing is a symptom – not my character, not my thought, not my belief.” He described a wave of “shame and embarrassment” after the racial slur was emitted and stressed that the words were “literally the last thing in the world I believe; it is the opposite of what I believe.” He emphasized that the most offensive word he uttered is one he would never use and would unequivocally condemn if not for his condition. Others within the Tourette’s community have echoed this explanation, highlighting that involuntary tics often arise from anxiety or fear rather than hatred.
The incident has prompted Bafta to publicly apologize and announce a “comprehensive review” to address the matter and prevent similar occurrences. They acknowledged the harm caused and expressed their commitment to improving protocols. The broadcast producers, who were working remotely from a TV truck, reportedly did not hear the slur, revealing shortcomings in communication during the live event. Commentators and media figures have criticized the BBC’s handling of the situation, describing it as inadequate and emphasizing the reputational damage caused. BBC Radio 1 DJ Oré Olukoga, speaking as a Black man working for the corporation, expressed deep disappointment with the response, highlighting the complexity of the issues involved while calling for better management in the future
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