BBC says second racist slur was edited out of ceremony, as filmmaker quits as BAFTA judge

The BBC has confirmed that a second racist slur was edited out of the BAFTA ceremony broadcast, but admitted the first was missed and "aired in error".

Tourette's campaigner John Davidson, who was attending the awards ceremony after inspiring the film, I Swear, which dramatises his life with severe Tourette syndrome, has said he's "deeply mortified" his involuntary tics caused him to yell out.

He shouted a racial slur while two black actors, Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo, were on stage presenting the first award of the night.

An email sent to all BBC staff on Tuesday from chief content officer Kate Phillips, and seen by Sky News, apologised for the mistake, and confirmed another racial slur had been removed from the broadcast.

Ms Phillips wrote: "The edit team removed another racial slur from the broadcast. This one was aired in error and we would never have knowingly allowed this to be broadcast. We take full responsibility for what happened."

She ended the memo by apologising for "the distress caused".

The ceremony, which had been edited down from three hours to two after taking place on Sunday night, was broadcast with the offending moment intact, and remained available to watch on BBC iPlayer for over 12 hours.

Other moments, including director Akinola Davies Jr call to "free Palestine," and filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson's use of the word "p***" were edited out.

The broadcaster subsequently took the recording down to edit out the slur.

On Tuesday, Labour MP Dawn Butler wrote to the BBC, calling for an "urgent explanation" of what happened, saying the N-word "should never have been aired" and calling its broadcast "painful and unforgivable".

Meanwhile, filmmaker Jonte Richardson said he was stepping down as a BAFTA emerging talent judge on Monday, over the organisation's handling of the incident.

He said BAFTA has "repeatedly failed" to safeguard the black community.

In a statement shared online, filmmaker Richardson said he would no longer serve on the emerging talent judging panel due to the organisation's handling of "the unfortunate Tourette's N-Word incident".

Calling it "utterly unforgivable," the producer and director went on: "I cannot and will not contribute my time, energy and expertise to an organisation that has repeatedly failed to safeguard the dignity of its Black guests, members and the Black creative community.

"This is particularly unfortunate given that this year's cohort boasts some incredible Black talent, especially one of my favourite shows of 2025 Just Act Normal."

In a statement released on Monday night, BAFTA apologised for the incident and said it takes "full responsibility" for putting its guests in a "difficult situation".

They apologised "unreservedly" to Sinners stars Jordan and Lindo, and "to all those impacted," adding: "We would like to thank Michael and Delroy for their incredible dignity and professionalism."

The statement continued: "We take full responsibility for putting our guests in a very difficult situation and we apologise to all.

"We will learn from this and keep inclusion at the core of all we do, maintaining our belief in film and storytelling as a critical conduit for compassion and empathy."

Earlier on Monday, the BBC apologised for failing to remove the slur, saying in a statement: "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."

The host, Alan Cumming, subsequently acknowledged the interruption and explained again about Tourette's.

Richardson has worked in both the UK and the US on projects including Channel 4's Bluefinch and award-winning productions for BET and HBO. He became a BAFTA member in 2011.

In a statement to the Press Association, Davidson said he chose to leave the auditorium early as he was "aware of the distress my tics were causing".

He was made an MBE in 2019 for his efforts to increase understanding of Tourette syndrome, having helped countless families deal with the condition.

What is Tourette's?

According to the NHS, Tourette syndrome is a condition that causes you to make sudden, repetitive sounds or movements - called tics.

There is no cure for the condition, but it can be managed through treatment. Tics can be triggered by stress, excitement or tiredness.

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention adds that only around one in 10 people with the condition suffer from coprolalia, where a tic is the excessive or uncontrollable use of inappropriate language.

It comes after British newcomer Robert Aramayo won best actor at the BAFTAs, beating Timothee Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio, with his performance in I Swear.

The film tells Davidson's real-life story, based on his 2025 memoir of the same name.

Sky News has contacted BAFTA for comment.

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