BBC Acknowledges Serious Mistake Over Bafta Broadcast
The BBC has acknowledged that broadcasting a racial slur uttered by a guest with Tourette syndrome during the Bafta Film Awards was a "serious mistake". The corporation announced that its Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) would expedite an investigation into the incident.
John Davidson, a campaigner for Tourette's awareness whose condition causes involuntary verbal tics, shouted the racial slur while black actors Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage at the ceremony held on Sunday.
A BBC spokesperson stated:
"The BBC has been reviewing what happened at Bafta on Sunday evening. This was a serious mistake and the director-general has instructed the Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) to complete a fast-tracked investigation and provide a full response to complainants."
The ECU is responsible for determining whether BBC content breaches the corporation's editorial guidelines.
Parliamentary Concerns and Inquiries
On Wednesday, the chairwoman of the House of Commons culture committee, Conservative MP Dame Caroline Dinenage, wrote to outgoing BBC director general Tim Davie seeking clarification on how the incident occurred.
Dame Caroline commented that the broadcast "raises questions about the extent to which lessons have been learned" from previous controversies. She referenced the 2023 Glastonbury Festival, where the BBC streamed antisemitic and derogatory remarks made by the punk duo Bob Vylan during their performance.
The committee requested explanations on why the racial slur was not edited out of the Bafta broadcast, what preventive systems are in place, why lessons from Glastonbury were not applied, and what measures will be implemented to avoid similar incidents.
Labour MP Dawn Butler also sent a letter to Davie earlier in the week demanding an "urgent explanation" for the event.
Details of the Broadcast and Davidson's Response
The Bafta Film Awards ceremony was aired on BBC One and with a two-hour delay. Despite this, the racial slur was audible to viewers, though many may have found it difficult to discern the word clearly.
Davidson has expressed that the BBC should have "worked harder to prevent anything that I said" from being broadcast and questioned the decision to seat him near a microphone.
He told Variety: "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."
understands that the producers editing the ceremony for the delayed broadcast were working from a TV truck and did not hear the slur during the segment featuring Lindo and Jordan.
Davidson, from Galashiels in Scotland, emphasized that he "had as much right" to attend the ceremony as anyone else. He is both the subject and executive producer of the film I Swear, which chronicles his experiences living with Tourette's and was nominated for six awards.
He stated that he uttered approximately 10 different offensive words during the event due to his tics, but media coverage has largely focused on the racial slur as if it were the only one.
After shouting the slur, Davidson chose to leave the auditorium "so as not to cause any more upset". Bafta provided him with a private room equipped with a monitor to watch the remainder of the ceremony.
According to Variety, Davidson has reached out to Warner Bros to apologize directly to Michael B Jordan, Delroy Lindo, and Hannah Beachler, the production designer of Sinners, who also reported hearing racial slurs.
Davidson said: "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 feeling a "wave of shame and embarrassment" after uttering the racial slur.
"What you hear me shouting is literally the last thing in the world I believe; it is the opposite of what I believe," he explained. "The most offensive word that I ticked at the ceremony, for example, is a word I would never use and would completely condemn if I did not have Tourette's."
Reactions from Tourette's Community and BBC Apologies
Emma McNally, chief executive of the Tourette's Action charity, issued a statement on Wednesday calling for an end to abuse directed at Davidson.
"The hurt experienced and the impact felt by the black community is real and deeply valid - words like these carry historical and emotional weight that cannot be ignored," she said. "At the same time, the trolling, abuse, and hostility directed toward John and the Tourette's community in the aftermath have been profoundly painful. Nobody wins when communities are pitted against one another."
The BBC has issued multiple apologies since the broadcast on Sunday. The ceremony was removed from on Monday morning and remains unavailable to watch.
On Tuesday, Kate Phillips, the BBC's chief content officer, informed staff that the corporation takes "full responsibility" for the incident. She also noted that another racial slur had been successfully edited out of the broadcast.
"In contrast, the one shouted when Lindo and Jordan were on stage was aired in error and we would never have knowingly allowed this to be broadcast," she said.
Bafta released a statement on Monday acknowledging the "harm this has caused," committing to addressing the issue and apologizing to all affected.
In a letter to its members on Tuesday, Bafta assured that a comprehensive review is underway.
