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An independent review has concluded that Bafta did not adequately fulfill its duty of care to guests, members, and viewers during the film awards ceremony in February when a racial slur was shouted, though it found no evidence of malicious intent. The incident occurred when John Davidson, a campaigner with Tourette’s syndrome, involuntarily uttered the n-word while actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting on stage. Bafta acknowledged in a statement that it had failed to fully anticipate or prepare for the impact of such an event amidst a live broadcast setting.
Responding to the findings, Bafta expressed an unreserved apology to the Black community, the disabled community, its members, guests, and the audience watching at home. The organisation admitted that what should have been a celebration was instead marred and overshadowed by the incident. The independent review, conducted by Rise Associates, identified “a number of structural weaknesses in Bafta’s planning, escalation procedures, and crisis coordination arrangements.” Despite these issues, the review confirmed there was no malicious intent from those involved in running the ceremony and Bafta accepted those conclusions in full.
The review highlighted that Bafta’s event planning and internal processes have not kept pace with its diversity and inclusion commitments. To address this, Bafta is working on implementing recommendations aimed at reducing the risk of similar future incidents. These improvements include enhancing escalation protocols and communication chains during awards events, ensuring that access, inclusion, and support are fully considered in advance, and tackling any internal cultural deficiencies that might hinder the organisation’s ability to meet its diversity, equity, and inclusion objectives.
The circumstances surrounding the episode involved a complex mixture of disability-related challenges, risks of live television, and the sensitive nature of language with a painful historical context. The review also pointed out the broader issue of balancing accessibility for participants while maintaining the dignity and safety of everyone present—both in the venue and watching remotely. Significantly, it clarified that this incident should not be labelled institutional racism, explaining that while Bafta’s governance systems lag behind its goals, the evidence does not indicate racial bias embedded in the organisation’s policies or culture. Following the ceremony, host Alan Cumming apologised for the distress caused, while actor Delroy Lindo expressed frustration that Bafta had not reached out to him and Jordan after the event. John Davidson emphasized in an interview that the offensive words he involuntarily shouted were completely contrary to his beliefs, underlining that his tics are symptoms of Tourette’s syndrome, with no harmful intent behind them
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