Tourette syndrome campaigner John Davidson says Bafta told him ‘any swearing will be removed from broadcast’ | Baftas 2026

John Davidson, the Tourette Syndrome (TS) campaigner who has been at the center of the Baftas N-word controversy, says that Bafta and the BBC “should have known what to expect” from Tourette Syndrome, and that he was told that any offensive words would be removed.

In an interview with Variety, Davidson said BAFTA told him “that any expletives would be removed from the broadcast.” “I’ve made four documentaries with the BBC in the past, and I feel they should have been aware of what to expect from Tourette’s and worked harder to prevent anything I said – which was about 40 rows away from the stage – from being included in the broadcast,” he said. I Swear StudioCanal backers confirmed to The Guardian that BAFTA had also informed them that expletives would be deleted.

“I remember there was a microphone right in front of me, and in hindsight I have to wonder if that was wise, so close to where I was sitting,” Davidson added.

Davidson was in attendance at the BAFTA ceremony where the film I Swear, based on his life story, was nominated for a number of awards, and was heard screaming several times during the event before leaving the room mid-evening. The BBC, which broadcast the ceremony after a two-hour delay, and BAFTA faced significant criticism for failing to cut out Davidson’s audible shout of the “N” word while Sinners stars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage to present the award.

Davidson said he felt a “wave of shame” over the incident: “Those who have seen me swear will understand. My tics over the years have said and done things that have caused intense pain and discomfort… Tourette’s syndrome can cause my body or my voice to do things I don’t mean to, and sometimes these tics end up with the worst words possible. I want to be really clear that the intent behind them is zero.”

“I can’t explain how upset and distraught I felt as Sunday’s impact grew,” Davidson said. He added, “I want people to know and understand that my tics have absolutely nothing to do with what I think, feel, or believe. They are an involuntary neurological imbalance. My tics are not an intention, they are not a choice, and they are not a reflection of my values.”

Variety reported that Davidson called Sinners studio Warner Bros. to personally apologize to Jordan, Lindo, and production designer Hannah Beachler, who also reported hearing the N-word directed at her.

Davidson added that he didn’t want the focus to be solely on these specific slurs, saying he would “appreciate reports on the event that show I may have written 10 different offensive words on awards night.” He added: “The ‘N’ word was one of those words, and I fully understand its importance in history and in the modern world, but most articles give the impression that I shouted one insult on Sunday.”

For example, Davidson explained why he shouted the word “pedophile” while event host Alan Cumming made a joke about Paddington Bear. On Sunday, Alan Cumming joked about his sexuality, and when he pointed to Paddington Bear, he said: “Maybe you’d like to come home with me, Paddington. “This wouldn’t be the first time I’ve taken a Peruvian hairy bear home.” This prompted homophobic gestures from me and led to the “pedophile” outcry likely stemming from Paddington Bear being a child character.

The fallout was significant, with both the BBC and BAFTA apologizing at length, the latter announcing a “comprehensive review” into what went wrong, BAFTA judge Jonty Richardson resigning after calling the organization’s handling of the incident “completely inexcusable”, and Warner Bros. claiming that both organizations failed to act after being alerted to the issue.