Bafta Assured Campaigner Offensive Tics Would Be Edited From Broadcast
John Davidson, the Tourette syndrome campaigner whose life inspired the award-winning biopic I Swear, has revealed that Bafta officials told him any involuntary expletives would be edited out of the Bafta Film Awards broadcast. This assurance came before the distressing incident where Davidson involuntarily shouted the N-word as a tic during the ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday 22 February.
Stars Delroy Lindo and Michael B Jordan Targeted During Presentation
The incident occurred while Sinners stars Delroy Lindo and Michael B Jordan were presenting an award. Despite host Alan Cumming explaining to the live audience that "a person with Tourette syndrome" was present and had "no control over his language", the racial slur was not removed from the delayed television broadcast later that evening.
In his first interview about the Baftas with Variety, Davidson expressed being "upset and distraught" since the event. He stated that StudioCanal, the film studio behind I Swear, had been working closely with Bafta, and the awards body had made it clear that "any swearing would be edited out of the broadcast".
Warner Bros Flagged Concerns During Ceremony
Warner Bros, the studio behind Sinners, has confirmed that it immediately raised concerns with Bafta during the ceremony. The studio was assured that their request would be passed to the BBC and that the racial slur would be removed from the broadcast. Davidson, however, believes both Bafta and the BBC should have been better prepared.
"I have made four documentaries with the BBC in the past, and feel that they should have been aware of what to expect from Tourette's and worked harder to prevent anything that I said... from being included in the broadcast," Davidson explained.
Microphone Placement Questioned and Internal Reviews Launched
The campaigner also questioned the placement of a microphone "just in front" of where he was seated, suggesting that with hindsight this was unwise given his known tics. Following the broadcast, a BBC spokesperson apologised, stating that the offensive language arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette syndrome and was not intentional. They confirmed it had been removed from BBC iPlayer.
An internal BBC memo revealed the slur aired "in error" as producers had not heard the word, noting another offensive term had been successfully cut. Bafta also issued an apology, announcing a "comprehensive review" was underway and taking "full responsibility for putting our guests in a very difficult situation". They specifically apologised to Lindo and Jordan.
Davidson Explains Condition and Reaches Out to Apologise
Davidson suffers from coprolalia, a form of Tourette's involving involuntary cursing or socially inappropriate remarks. After realising Lindo and Jordan had heard his tic from the stage, he left the auditorium. He has since reached out to the Sinners studio to apologise to Lindo, Jordan, and production designer Hannah Beachler, who also heard the slur.
Explaining his condition, Davidson said: "I want people to know and understand that my tics have absolutely nothing to do with what I think, feel or believe." He described experiencing echolalia during the Baftas, leading him to shout "perhaps 10 different offensive words", including homophobic comments and "paedophile" directed at Alan Cumming.
"Tourette's can feel spiteful and searches out the most upsetting tic for me personally and for those around me. What you hear me shouting is literally the last thing in the world I believe; it is the opposite of what I believe," Davidson emphasised. "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."
The BBC has removed the Baftas from its iPlayer streaming service following backlash over the decision to include the slur in the broadcast.
