John Davidson said the racial slur heard during the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards was an involuntary vocal tic, not an expression of his beliefs. He also said he was deeply distressed by the effect it had on others and left the auditorium after becoming aware of that distress. The BBC apologized for failing to edit the language from its delayed broadcast; a later BBC complaints finding said its inclusion was highly offensive and had no editorial justification.
What John Davidson said after the BAFTAs
Davidson, a Tourette syndrome campaigner whose life inspired the film I Swear, issued a statement on February 23, 2026. Reproduced by ITV, it said: “I am, and always have been deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning.” He added that he had left the auditorium early because he was “aware of the distress my tics were causing.”
In a February 25 interview with Variety, Davidson described feeling a wave of shame and embarrassment when his coprolalia tics became audible and said he wanted to leave. He said he understood the historical and present-day significance of the slur. He also asked that coverage reflect that he had ticced “perhaps 10 different offensive words” during the ceremony, rather than leave the impression that only one offensive word occurred. Those details are Davidson’s account in the interview.
What happened during the ceremony
The incident took place at the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards in London, while Sinners actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting an award. Davidson was in the audience; his vocal tics were audible during the ceremony. The BBC later broadcast the event on a delay, giving it an opportunity to edit the language before transmission.
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Davidson said BAFTA had told attendees that swearing would be edited out of the broadcast. He also said he expected the BBC to have measures to control the sound and questioned whether a microphone should have been near his seat. These are Davidson’s recollections and expectations; the available reporting does not independently establish what arrangements were made before the event.
Why the tic was not a statement of belief
Davidson described coprolalia as the involuntary use of obscene or offensive language. A tic is not necessarily a deliberate statement: Davidson said the words were involuntary and did not carry his intended meaning. That distinction does not make the slur harmless or erase the distress it could cause the people who heard it. His own account acknowledged that impact.
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Coprolalia is not synonymous with Tourette syndrome, nor is it a diagnostic criterion. Estimates of how many people with Tourette syndrome experience it vary by source. In his 2026 Variety interview, Davidson put the figure at 10% to 30%. The Associated Press, also reporting in 2026, attributed a 10% to 15% estimate to the Tourette Association of America; its report did not identify when the underlying estimate was published. These are differently attributed estimates, not a single settled figure established by the reporting.
The BBC apologized for the broadcast
On February 23, the BBC said it was sorry the language had not been edited before broadcast and that it would be removed from the BBC iPlayer version. The apology addressed the broadcaster’s failure to edit the material; it did not characterize Davidson’s tic as intentional.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteIn an April 8, 2026 report, ITV said the BBC Executive Complaints Unit found the inclusion “highly offensive” and that it “had no editorial justification,” while accepting that the slur was broadcast by mistake. ITV also reported that another occurrence about ten minutes later was recognized and edited out under the protocols then in place. The ECU finding concerns the BBC’s editorial handling, not whether Davidson intended the tic.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Davidson’s apology to the people involved
Variety reported that Davidson’s team said he had contacted the studio behind Sinners to apologize to Jordan, Lindo and production designer Hannah Beachler. The Guardian also reported that outreach. The reporting does not establish how those individuals responded.
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