Scots Tourette's campaigner John Davidson has requested to view the 2026 Scottish BAFTAs through a video stream at the venue after his racial slur incident during the BAFTAs earlier this year. The film I Swear, which chronicles Davidson's upbringing with Tourette syndrome in the 1980s, has received seven Scottish BAFTA nominations.
Incident at February ceremony
The production also won three accolades at the Bafta Film Awards in London in February. However, the occasion was tarnished when Davidson, whose condition causes involuntary tics, shouted the N-word while Sinners stars Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo presented an award on stage.
The BBC subsequently apologised for failing to remove the slur from the live broadcast of the event, which aired on a two-hour delay, and remained available on BBC iPlayer until the next day. BAFTA Scotland announced it had consulted with safeguarding and inclusion specialists to enable Davidson to participate in its upcoming Glasgow ceremony "in the safest way possible for all".
Ceremony arrangements
The ceremony will take place on November 15 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Glasgow Central at a ceremony hosted by Edith Bowman. The organisation stated that Davidson, who received an MBE in 2019 for raising awareness of Tourette's, had proposed viewing the event from a separate room at the venue alongside his family and friends.
Davidson, who hails from Galashiels, shouted loudly on multiple occasions before and throughout the February BAFTA ceremony. He subsequently stated he was "deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning".
Responses and nominations
He said in a statement: "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."
"I chose to leave the auditorium early into the ceremony as I was aware of the distress my tics were causing."
At the time, BAFTA expressed gratitude to Davidson for his "dignity and consideration of others, on what should have been a night of celebration for him". It added: "We take full responsibility for putting our guests in a very difficult situation and we apologise to all."
"We will learn from this and keep inclusion at the core of all we do, maintaining our belief in film and storytelling as a critical conduit for compassion and empathy."
Michael B Jordan did not release a public statement after the incident and Delroy Lindo later said he wishes that BAFTA organisers had spoken to them directly after the ceremony.
This year's Scottish BAFTA nominees feature I Swear actors Peter Mullan, Robert Aramayo, Scott Ellis Watson and Shirley Henderson. In the Actor Television category, nominations have been given to Dougray Scott for Summerwater, Jack Lowden for Slow Horses, Peter Capaldi for Criminal Record and Robert Carlyle for The Hack.
Additionally, Netflix crime drama Dept Q and BBC comedy Dinosaur have each received three nominations, with Dept Q's Leah Byrne also securing an Audience Award nomination.
