At the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards, Tourette's campaigner John Davidson's involuntary vocal tics, including a racial slur, led to controversy during the ceremony. Host Alan Cumming addressed the outbursts, explaining they were symptoms of Tourette syndrome, while the BBC later apologized for not editing the slur from its broadcast. Davidson expressed remorse, emphasizing the tics were unintentional.
The incident occurred at the 79th BAFTA Film Awards held on February 22, 2026, at the Royal Festival Hall in London. John Davidson, a Tourette's syndrome advocate diagnosed at age 25, attended as the subject of the nominated biopic 'I Swear,' in which Robert Aramayo portrayed him and won the best actor award. Davidson's condition causes involuntary vocal tics, including coprolalia, which involves obscene language.
Throughout the first half of the ceremony, Davidson's outbursts were audible, such as shouting 'shut the fuck up' during BAFTA chair Sara Putt's opening remarks and 'fuck you' as directors of the winning children's film 'Boong' accepted their award. The most contentious moment came when actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo presented the best visual effects award to 'Avatar: Fire and Ash.' At that time, Davidson shouted the N-word, which was picked up by microphones.
Prior to the event, a floor manager warned the audience, including guests near Davidson, about potential involuntary noises or movements but did not specify the nature of the tics. No advance notifications were given to nominees or attendees, according to multiple sources. Host Alan Cumming paused twice to address the situation. First, he said: '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.' Later, he added: '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.'
The ceremony was broadcast on a two-hour tape delay by BBC One in the U.K. and E! in the U.S., yet the N-word was not edited out initially and remained audible on BBC iPlayer until midday on February 23. A BBC spokesperson stated: '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 apologize that this was not edited out prior to broadcast and it will now be removed from the version on BBC iPlayer.'
Davidson released a statement expressing he was 'deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning.' He thanked BAFTA for the pre-announcement and support, noted the applause that followed, and said he left the auditorium early due to the distress caused. He added: '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.'
Delroy Lindo told Vanity Fair that he and Jordan 'did what we had to do' during the moment and wished 'someone from BAFTA spoke to us afterwards.' 'Sinners' production designer Hannah Beachler, who is Black, posted on X that the slur was directed at her once after the show and occurred three times that night. She criticized Cumming's apology as a 'throw away apology of “if you were offended”' that 'made the situation worse,' though she emphasized handling it with grace.
BAFTA issued a full apology for the incident. Tourettes Action CEO Emma McNally stated: 'We deeply understand that these words can cause hurt but... tics are involuntary. They are not a reflection of a person’s beliefs, intentions, or character.' The charity highlighted the backlash's saddening impact and urged education through watching 'I Swear.' The event, attended by figures like the Prince and Princess of Wales, underscored tensions around disability accommodation and racial sensitivity in public spaces.
