BBC, host apologise after racial slur shouted during BAFTA awards by guest with Tourette's

Britain's movie academy and the BBC apologised to viewers aft an assemblage subordinate with Tourette's syndrome shouted a radical slur during the British Academy Film Awards. The highly violative connection could beryllium heard arsenic “Sinners” stars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting the grant for champion ocular effects during Sunday's (February 22, 2026) ceremony.

Host Alan Cumming had earlier told the assemblage that a impermanent astatine the ceremonial was John Davidson, a Scottish campaigner for radical with Tourette's who inspired the BAFTA-nominated movie “I Swear.” Tourette syndrome is simply a neurological upset characterised by involuntary, repetitive movements and vocalisations, including the uttering of inappropriate words.

After the outburst, Cumming apologised to the assemblage astatine London's Royal Festival Hall for the “strong and violative language.” “Tourette syndrome is simply a disability, and the tics you person heard contiguous are involuntary, which means the idiosyncratic who has Tourette syndrome has nary power implicit their language,” Cumming said. “We apologise if you were offended.” The British Academy of Film and Television Arts referred to Cumming's connection erstwhile asked for remark connected Monday (February 23, 2026).

The epithet could beryllium heard erstwhile the BBC broadcast the ceremonial astir 2 hours aft the unrecorded event. The broadcaster apologised connected Monday (February 23, 2026), though the violative connection could inactive beryllium heard connected the broadcaster's streaming site.

“This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette syndrome, and was not intentional,” it said successful a statement. “We apologise for immoderate offence caused by the connection heard.” “I Swear” won 2 BAFTAs, including champion histrion for Robert Aramayo, who plays Davidson.

Ed Palmer, vice president of the foundation Tourettes Action, said the BBC should person considered bleeping retired the slur.

“This is truly 1 of the astir acute examples of wherever thing that is simply a disablement tin origin rather understandably immense amounts of offence to someone,” helium told Times Radio. “So, if it's being prerecorded now, past bleeping it out, for example, mightiness beryllium a tenable compromise.”