BAFTAs Under Fire: Delroy Lindo and Michael B. Jordan Met with Silence After Racial Slur Controversy
The 2026 BAFTA Film Awards have been plunged into a storm of controversy following a jarring incident involving a racial slur and a subsequent lack of communication with the actors targeted.
On Sunday night, as Sinners stars Delroy Lindo and Michael B. Jordan took the stage to present the evening’s first award, the auditorium was pierced by the shouting of the n-word. The outcry came from John Davidson, an executive producer and prominent Tourette syndrome campaigner who was in attendance to celebrate the BAFTA-nominated film I Swear, which is based on his life.
The Incident and the Broadcast Failure
Despite the BAFTAs airing on a two-hour tape delay, the BBC failed to edit the slur out of the broadcast. While other moments—including political statements and swearing—were reportedly removed for the televised version, the racial slur remained audible to millions of viewers on BBC One and later on the BBC iPlayer.
A BBC spokesperson eventually addressed the oversight, stating:
“Some viewers may have heard strong and offensive language during the BAFTA Film Awards. This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette syndrome… We apologize that this was not edited out prior to broadcast.”
Lindo Speaks Out: “Nobody Approached Us”
While the BBC and BAFTA issued public statements on Monday, the personal handling of the situation has come under scrutiny. Speaking to Vanity Fair at the Warner Bros. after-party, Delroy Lindo revealed a disappointing lack of direct outreach from the organization.
Lindo noted that while he and Jordan “did what we had to do” to maintain professionalism on stage, the silence from officials afterward was deafening. “I also wished someone from BAFTA spoke to us afterward,” Lindo remarked, indicating that no representative from the Academy had approached either actor to apologize or check on their well-being in the immediate aftermath of the slur.
The Complexities of Tourette Syndrome
John Davidson, who has spent decades advocating for Tourette awareness, has expressed that he is “deeply mortified” by the incident. His condition includes coprolalia, a rare symptom of Tourette syndrome that involves the involuntary utterance of obscene or socially inappropriate remarks.
Advocacy groups like Tourettes Action have emphasized that these tics are neurological and do not reflect the individual’s personal beliefs. Davidson voluntarily left the auditorium shortly after the incident occurred to prevent further distress.
Backlash
The incident has ignited a fierce debate regarding “duty of care.” High-profile figures, including Jamie Foxx and Wendell Pierce, have criticized the handling of the situation. Pierce noted on social media that the “insult to [Lindo and Jordan] takes priority,” regardless of the neurological cause, and argued that a direct, immediate apology should have been the first priority.
BAFTA has since announced a “comprehensive review” into their production protocols, admitting they put their guests in an “incomparably difficult situation.”