2026 BAFTA Awards Weren't Live: Why Didn't The BBC Edit the N-Word?

Posted in: BBC, Movies, Opinion, TV, TV | Tagged: BAFTA Awards, opinion

2026 BAFTA Awards Weren't Live: Why Didn't The BBC Edit the N-Word?

BAFTA Awards: Why didn't the BBC edit Tourette syndrome campaigner John Davidson yelling the N-word at Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo?

Published Sun, 22 Feb 2026 18:07:08 -0600
by Ray Flook
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Between who won, who lost, and what folks had to say, there was a whole lot to take out of the 2026 BAFTA Awards, which aired earlier today on BBC One and iPlayer. But there was one moment during the ceremony that sparked a passionate debate on social media. Tourette syndrome campaigner John Davidson, who is spotlighted in the film I Swear (and portrayed by BAFTA winner Robert Aramayo), was in attendance for the awards ceremony, and several of his tics were picked up and could be heard over the broadcast. During the opening remarks from BAFTA chair Sara Putt, Davidson could be heard yelling "f**k off" and "boring." The moment that caught a ton of attention was when Sinners stars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo took to the stage to present the award for Best Visual Effects to Avatar: Fire and Ash, with Davidson yelling the N-word during their remarks.

At one point during the show, event host Alan Cumming addressed Davidson's outbursts, saying, "You may have noticed some strong language in the background. This can be part of how Tourette's syndrome shows up for some people as the film explores that experience. Thanks for your understanding and helping create a respectful space for everyone." Cumming would address the topic again, later in the ceremony: "Tourette's Syndrome is a disability and the tics you've heard tonight are involuntary, which means the person who has Tourette's Syndrome has no control over their language. We apologize if you are offended tonight."

And yet, we're confused because we're not sure why this had to become a global public issue for Davidson, Jordan, and Lindo in the first place. According to the BBC website, "The ceremony starts at 17:00, two hours before its TV broadcast begins, which means winners will be reported in the news and on social media before being seen on television." If there's a two-hour "delay" between the live ceremony and when it hits BBC One and BBC iPlayer, why wasn't it edited out? Why weren't all of Davidson's tics edited out? It's not like two hours wouldn't have been more than enough time to edit the tics from the broadcast. Would this be the kind of call that the BBC or BAFTA would make? Because it's tough to see what the benefit would be to the individuals involved to keep the tics in the airing – unless you want to generate headlines?

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