The BBC has issued a fresh apology after a racial slur was broadcast during its coverage of the Bafta film awards, saying producers working in a truck did not hear the offensive language before it went out on BBC One. The broadcaster admitted the word, uttered involuntarily by John Davidson, who has Tourette syndrome, should have been edited out.
The incident occurred as actors Delroy Lindo and Michael B Jordan were on stage presenting an award for the film Sinners. Davidson, whose documentary-inspired film I Swear was nominated for several awards, shouted the slur, which was heard by viewers. The broadcast remained on BBC iPlayer overnight before being taken down for re-editing, following a backlash.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch described the BBC's failure to bleep the word as a "horrible mistake", noting that other inappropriate remarks, including shouts of "Free Palestine", had been censored during the ceremony. Bafta also issued a statement on Monday, apologising for putting its guests in a "very difficult situation" and saying it would learn from the incident.
Davidson, who was born in Galashiels and featured in the 1989 documentary John's Not Mad, left the event midway through the evening. Host Alan Cumming had earlier explained to the audience that tics associated with Tourette syndrome are involuntary, and apologised if anyone was offended.
Actors Jamie Foxx and Wendell Pierce were among those who criticised the handling of the incident, with Pierce saying the first reaction should have been a full apology to Lindo and Jordan. Sinners production designer Hannah Beachler said on social media that she had also been subjected to a racial slur and criticised Bafta's apology as "throwaway". According to Vanity Fair, Lindo later said he and Jordan "did what we had to do" by remaining calm, but wished someone from Bafta had spoken to them afterwards.
