Tourette’s campaigner John Davidson has apologised after he involuntarily shouted a racial slur during a BBC broadcast of the British Film and Television Awards (BAFTAs) on Sunday.
The BBC has also apologised for airing the racial slur, which was directed at ‘Sinners’ stars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo while they were presenting an award.
The ceremony was not broadcast live. The BBC aired an edited version hours after it was recorded.
Context
Tourette’s syndrome is a neurological disorder that may cause sudden, repetitive, and rapid movements or vocal outbursts called tics.
One of the symptoms of Tourette’s is ‘coprolalia’, where a person involuntarily uses inappropriate language, including slurs.
Tourette’s syndrome campaigner John Davidson, the subject of the BAFTA-winning biopic ‘I Swear’, shouted the slur.
Davidson said he was “aware of the distress [his] tics were causing,” and left the BAFTAs ceremony early.
In a statement, he added: “I am, and always have been deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning... I have spent my life trying to support and empower the Tourette’s community and to teach empathy, kindness and understanding from others and I will continue to do so.”
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BAFTA response
Lindo, who was on stage with Jordan during the incident, told Vanity Fair he wished “someone from BAFTA spoke to us afterwards.”
BAFTA apologised “unreservedly to Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo, and to all those affected by what was heard during the event”.
Organisers said they “took measures to make those in attendance aware of the tics, announcing to the audience before the ceremony began, and throughout, that John was in the room and that they may hear strong language.”
BBC response
Following criticism for airing the slur, the BBC issued an apology and said the moment would be removed from the streaming version of the ceremony.
The BBC was also asked about its decision to edit Akinola Davies Jr’s acceptance speech in the broadcast, cutting him off before he said: “For Nigeria, for London, the Congo, Sudan, free Palestine.”
A BBC spokesperson told Deadline “the same happened to other speeches” to ensure the broadcast ran on time. “All winners’ speeches will be available to watch via Bafta’s YouTube channel.”
