Delroy Lindo addressed the moment a racial slur was heard from the audience during the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards, saying he and co-presenter Michael B. Jordan “did what we had to do” as they continued with the ceremony.
Lindo, 73, and Jordan, 39, were presenting the award for Best Visual Effects when the N-word was shouted in the auditorium as they handed the prize to Avatar: Fire and Ash. The incident occurred live during the ceremony and was later broadcast on the BBC.
Speaking to Vanity Fair at an official after-party, Lindo said he wished “someone from BAFTA spoke to us” following the incident, adding that he and Jordan remained professional and completed their presenting duties.
The outburst came from John Davidson, 54, whose life inspired the nominated biopic I Swear. Davidson has Tourette’s syndrome, a neurological condition that can cause involuntary vocal tics. Actor Robert Aramayo won Best Actor for portraying Davidson in the film.
According to Variety, several outbursts from Davidson were audible throughout the ceremony, including profanity during opening remarks and acceptance speeches. Floor managers reportedly warned guests seated near him about his condition, though sources told Variety that nominees and attendees were not broadly notified in advance of potential outbursts.
During the broadcast, host Alan Cumming addressed the audience after multiple incidents, saying: “You may have noticed some strong language in the background. This can be part of how Tourette’s syndrome shows up for some people as the film explores that experience.”
Later, Cumming added: “Tourette’s Syndrome is a disability and the tics you’ve heard tonight are involuntary, which means the person who has Tourette’s Syndrome has no control over their language. We apologise if you are offended tonight.”
The situation drew further scrutiny when the tape-delayed BBC broadcast aired later that evening with the slur still audible. The BBC subsequently removed the ceremony from iPlayer.
In a statement, the broadcaster said: “Some viewers may have heard strong and offensive language during the BAFTA Film Awards. This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette’s syndrome, and as explained during the ceremony, it was not intentional.
“We apologize that this was not edited out prior to broadcast and it will now be removed from the version on BBC iPlayer.” BAFTA has separately taken “full responsibility” for the incident and apologized to those affected.
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BBC apologizes after racial slur is hurled during BAFTA ceremony
