Live on TV: BAFTA interrupted by racial slur; ‘Free Palestine’ speech snubbed

At the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards in London on Sunday, a moment during the ceremony drew global attention when a racial slur was broadcast on television as two Black actors, Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo, were on stage presenting an award. The offensive word shouted could be heard in the audience and was captured on the BBC’s TV broadcast.

Inside the Royal Festival Hall, the outburst came from John Davidson, a well‑known advocate for people with Tourette syndrome and the real‑life subject of the BAFTA‑nominated film ‘I Swear’.

People with Tourette’s can sometimes make involuntary sounds or words, including offensive language, and Davidson’s vocal tics were picked up by microphones during several parts of the early show.

Host Alan Cumming paused the ceremony more than once to address the situation. He told the audience that some of the language they had just heard was involuntary and associated with Tourette syndrome, and he apologized to anyone who was offended.

While the BBC broadcast included Davidson’s outbursts, including the racial slur, it did not air another notable moment from the live event: speech remarks made by filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr, who won a BAFTA for outstanding debut and ended his acceptance speech with a call for “Free Palestine,” which generated cheers in the room but was omitted from the BBC’s edited broadcast.

The broadcast of the slur has sparked global debate, with many questioning whether the same leniency would have been shown if the remark had been antisemitic.

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