The BBC has issued a second apology after a racial slur was broadcast during the Bafta film awards, with producers saying they did not hear the word as they were working from a truck. The N-word was uttered involuntarily by John Davidson, a Tourette syndrome campaigner, while actors Delroy Lindo and Michael B Jordan were on stage. The broadcast remained on BBC iPlayer overnight before being taken down for re-editing.
The BBC initially apologised on the night, but faced further backlash after the uncorrected version stayed online. In a new statement, the corporation said: “Some viewers may have heard strong and offensive language during the Bafta film awards. This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette syndrome, and as explained during the ceremony it was not intentional. We apologise that this was not edited out prior to broadcast and it will now be removed from the version on BBC iPlayer.”
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticised the BBC, saying it had made a “horrible mistake” by failing to bleep the word, especially as other inappropriate language, including shouts of “Free Palestine”, had been cut. Bafta also issued a statement, apologising for putting guests in a “very difficult situation” and pledging to learn from the incident.
Actors Jamie Foxx and Wendell Pierce expressed dismay, with Pierce saying the priority should have been apologising to Lindo and Jordan. Lindo later told Vanity Fair that he and Jordan “did what we had to do” by staying calm, but wished Bafta had spoken to them afterwards. Davidson, who has Tourette syndrome, left the ceremony early. The film inspired by his life, I Swear, won several awards during the evening.
