BBC producers say they ‘didn’t hear’ N-word slur as ‘working in a truck’, following second Baftas apology

Corporation says it is sorry that words spoken involuntarily during ceremony by John Davidson, who has Tourette syndrome, were not edited out

BBC producers overseeing coverage of the Bafta film awards say they did not hear a racial slur it mistakenly broadcast on BBC One, as the corporation apologised for the error that remained uncorrected for several hours.

The broadcast containing the N-word remained on BBC iPlayer overnight before the coverage was taken down. The BBC later apologised and said the show would be re-edited, following a backlash.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the BBC had made a “horrible mistake” for failing to edit out the word.

It had been said by John Davidson, the Tourette syndrome campaigner, who shouted it as Delroy Lindo and Michael B Jordan, the stars of the film Sinners, were on stage as they were presenting an award.

It is understood that the producers overseeing the ceremony for the BBC were doing so from a truck and say they simply did not hear the slur. Several other incidents of inappropriate language were cut out, but that moment was missed.

The BBC yesterday issued a new apology for its handling of the incident. “Some viewers may have heard strong and offensive language during the Bafta film awards,” it said.

“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.”

Badenoch led the criticisms of the BBC’s mistake. “It should have been bleeped, because I was told that there were two other things that were bleeped … people shouting Free Palestine,” she told ITV’s Good Morning Britain. “So that is a huge error.

“The BBC made a mistake, a horrible mistake, I think the two actors who were standing there will have been the people who were the most embarrassed, because they wouldn’t have known what was going on.”

The incident was sparked by Davidson who attended the Baftas as I Swear, the film inspired by his life of dealing with hostility triggered by TS, was up for a number of awards. Actor Robert Aramayo won the best actor award, as well as the rising star award, while its casting director Lauren Evans won best casting. Davidson reportedly left the event midway through the evening.

Davidson, who was born and grew up in Galashiels in Scotland, was featured in the landmark TS documentary John’s Not Mad in 1989, and was appointed an MBE in 2019.

During the ceremony Baftas host Alan Cumming made announcements explaining the situation, saying: “Tourette syndrome is a disability, and the tics you’ve heard tonight are involuntary, which means the person who has Tourette syndrome has no control over their language. We apologise if you are offended tonight.”

Figures including actors Jamie Foxx and Wendell Pierce expressed their dismay, with Foxx calling it “unacceptable” and Pierce saying: “It’s infuriating that the first reaction wasn’t complete and full throatted [sic] apologies to Delroy Lindo and Michael B Jordan. The insult to them takes priority. It doesn’t matter the reasoning for the racist slur.” Sinners’ production designer Hannah Beachler said on social media that she had also had a racial slur directed at her, and criticised what she called Bafta’s “throwaway” apology.

Lindo and Jordan have yet to officially comment, but Vanity Fair reports that Lindo told their reporter at an afterparty that he and Jordan “did what we had to do” by remaining calm on the podium, but that he wished “someone from Bafta spoke to us afterwards”. The Guardian has approached representatives for both actors for comment.

Following the Baftas, campaign group Tourettes Action released a statement saying they “want[ed] to address the negative comments that have surfaced following John [Davidson]’s involuntary vocal tics during the ceremony”, adding: “We deeply understand that these words can cause hurt but at the same time, it is vital that the public understands a fundamental truth about Tourette syndrome: tics are involuntary. They are not a reflection of a person’s beliefs, intentions, or character … These symptoms are neurological, not intentional, and they are something John – like many others with Tourette’s – lives with every single day.”

The BBC’s broadcast of the Baftas started two hours after the event itself, allowing editors to edit down proceedings into a two-hour package. Critics expressed bemusement that the N-word remained audible while a comment of “Free Palestine” by outstanding British debut winner Akinola Davies Jr was removed, as was a joke by Cumming that appeared to reference Donald Trump, and the word “piss” said by best film and best director winner Paul Thomas Anderson was bleeped out.

In June the BBC incurred considerable criticism for streaming a controversial performance by punk-rap duo Bob Vylan from Glastonbury, despite adding a warning for ““very strong and discriminatory language”.

Bafta has also been approached for comment.