BAFTA judge resigns over ‘absolutely inexcusable’ handling of Tourette’s incident N-word | Baftas 2026

A black British director said he would step down as a Bafta judge over the organisation’s handling of the incident during a gala on Sunday, in which a Tourette’s syndrome campaigner shouted a racial slur while two black actors were on stage.

Sinners stars Delroy Lindo and Michael B. Jordan were presenting the special visual effects award when John Davidson, whose life story was made into the acclaimed film I Swear, shouted the N-word from the booths. The actors continued their presenting duties but seemed shocked.

The audience at the Royal Festival Hall were made aware before the concert began that Davidson was in the audience and therefore might shout inappropriate language. The telecast of the ceremony, which aired two hours after the live show, failed to delete Davidson’s outburst, and did not include advance warning that attendees were being introduced in person.

Jonty Richardson wrote on LinkedIn: “After a great deal of soul-searching, I feel compelled to withdraw from the BAFTA Emerging Talent judging panel. The organization’s handling of last night’s unfortunate Tourette’s incident at the awards ceremony was completely inexcusable. I cannot and will not contribute my time, energy and expertise to an organization that has repeatedly failed to uphold the dignity of its Black guests, members and the Black creative community.”

He added: “This is especially unfortunate given that this year’s lineup boasts some amazing black talent, especially one of my favorite shows of 2025, Just Act Normal.

“However, when an organization like BAFTA, which has its own long history of systemic racism, refuses to acknowledge the harm done to both black and disabled communities and provide a proper apology, to continue participating would be tantamount to condoning its behaviour.”

Richardson, a former musician who has worked with artists including Beyoncé, Denzel Washington and Queen Latifah, won a BBC Black Screen Award in 1993 for his first screenplay, Johnny Was. Other credits include the BBC series Babyfather, ITV’s The Bill, and the film I Bring You Frankincense. He has served on the board of the BFI’s Text Factory and in 2003 co-founded the Black Media Professionals UK coalition.

The backlash to the incident was significant, with many industry figures criticizing BAFTA for not being able to balance the needs and sensitivities of their diverse guests and the BBC for failing to remove the word from the telecast, which aired two hours after the live show.

BBC producers suggested that this was because their team was “working from a truck” and “failed to hear” the word. However, outrage over its use was already high on social media, and it remains unclear why the lines of communication between the broadcaster and BAFTA failed.

Edits included a “liberate Palestine” call from Outstanding British inaugural winner Akinola Davies Jr, a joke from host Alan Cumming suggesting the US was in grave danger, and the word “piss”, used by Best Picture winner Paul Thomas Anderson. The BBC later issued an apology and uploaded a re-edited version to iPlayer.

Labor MP Dawn Butler shared on X her letter to the BBC’s acting director-general Tim Davie asking for an “urgent explanation” as to why Davies Junior’s words were removed but Davidson’s slurs remain.

“You can see the physical breathing of Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo as they prepare themselves to continue, like pros,” she wrote. “This pain was repeated for millions of people, who were forced to watch this on television.”

Butler’s concerns were shared by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, telling ITV’s Good Morning Britain yesterday that Davidson’s use of the N-word “should have been whistled” and that the BBC had made a “terrible mistake”.

Meanwhile, the New Black Film Collective said the BBC’s failure to remove the word before the initial broadcast was a “disgrace” and that the subsequent action of uploading an edited version on Monday afternoon was “inappropriate” because the offending clip had “already been widely circulated online”.

Concert host Cumming referred to the tantrums during the concert that were preserved in the final stretch of the original telecast, saying: “Tourette syndrome is a disability, and the tics you heard tonight are involuntary, which means that a person with Tourette syndrome has no control over their language. We apologize if you felt offended tonight.”

However, many felt the wording of his statement was inadequate, with Sinners’ nominated production designer, Hannah Beachler, saying on social media that she had also been directed at racial slurs, and slammed what she called the “wrong” apology. “I know we have to take this with grace and keep moving forward. But what made the situation worse was the quick ‘if you’re offended’ apology at the end of the show.”

This sentiment was echoed in a statement released Tuesday from the New Black Film Collective, which said Cumming’s framing “downplays the lived reality of racism. Black pain should never be treated as contingent or secondary.”

The body, which seeks to highlight black excellence in the film industries, expressed its “deep disappointment at the handling of the appalling racial slur” and urged “the BBC and BAFTA to undertake a full review and commit to taking meaningful action to ensure that black performers and black audience members in the auditorium and in the house are not subjected to racial harm under any circumstances.”

Others criticized BAFTA for not informing those who would take the stage individually in advance, as well as for apparently not communicating with Lindo and Jordan after the incident. Neither actor has formally responded to the evening’s events, but Vanity Fair reported that Lindo told their reporter at a party that he wished “someone from Bafta would talk to us afterward.”

Bafta issued a lengthy apology on Monday evening, saying it took “full responsibility” for putting its guests in a “difficult situation.”

“We will learn from this, and keep inclusion at the core of everything we do, while maintaining our belief in film and storytelling as an important channel for compassion and empathy,” she said. The statement acknowledged that Bafta guests “heard extremely offensive language that carries unparalleled trauma and pain for so many. We want to acknowledge the damage this has caused, address what happened and apologize to everyone.”

To Jordan and Lindo, BAFTA apologizes “unreservedly” as well as “to everyone affected. We would like to thank Michael and Delroy for their dignity and incredible professionalism.”

They also thanked Davidson for his “dignity and respect for others, on what should have been a night of celebration for him.”

Davidson himself also issued a statement on Monday saying he was “very frightened if anyone would consider my tics to be intentional or have any meaning.” He added: “I have spent my life trying to support and empower the Tourette’s community and teach compassion, kindness and understanding from others, and I will continue to do so. I chose to leave the hall early in the concert because I was aware of the distress my tics were causing.”

The activist watched the remainder of the concert from behind the scenes on screen, with onlookers reporting that he continued to squirm verbally. Other talent Davidson shouted obscenities at while in the auditorium included Cumming, BAFTA chair Sarah Butt and Indian Children’s and Family Film Award winners Bong, who took to the stage alongside Paddington.