Everything else John Davidson shouted at the BAFTAs, as racial slur causes Tourette’s debate

A heated debate has broken out about the 2026 BAFTAs, after Tourette’s campaigner John Davidson shouted multiple expletives, including a racial slur, during the ceremony.

Davidson, whose life inspired the BAFTA-nominated film I Swear, was seated in the audience at London’s Royal Festival Hall when his vocal tics were heard during the first half an hour of the broadcast.

What John Davidson shouted out

calling michael b jordan and delroy lindo the n-word during black history month?! https://t.co/nNjdMPfmVX pic.twitter.com/UQ4I5Ow0Kg

— chu (@THEHORRORGOTH) February 22, 2026

Before the show had properly begun, Davidson could be heard shouting “Boring!” while organisers delivered housekeeping announcements to guests. Moments later, as attendees were asked to avoid swearing during the ceremony, he shouted “Bulls**t!”

During BAFTA chair Sara Putt’s opening remarks, he shouted: “Shut the f**k up,” drawing audible reactions in the hall.

The most shocking moment came when presenters Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo took the stage to award best visual effects to Avatar: Fire and Ash. Davidson loudly shouted the n-word, prompting gasps from the audience and later becoming the focus of online backlash.

There were multiple other unclear words shouted by Davidson. Attendee Hannah Beachler has claimed that the racial slur was used three more times, one of which was directed towards her.

I keep trying to write about what happened at the BAFTAs, and I can’t find the words. The situation is almost impossible, but it happened 3 times that night, and one of the three times was directed at myself on the way to dinner after the show.

— HannahBeachler (@HannahEBeachler) February 23, 2026

BAFTA host Alan Cumming paused the show several times to address the audience directly about what they were hearing.

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“You may have noticed some strong language in the background,” he said early on. “This can be part of how Tourette’s syndrome shows up for some people as the film explores that experience. Thanks for your understanding and helping create a respectful space for everyone.”

After Davidson left the ceremony roughly 25 minutes in, understood to have been his own decision rather than at BAFTA’s request, Cumming returned to the issue.

“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,” he said. “We apologize if you are offended tonight.”

Why John Davidson was at the BAFTAs

Davidson is the real-life inspiration behind I Swear, which follows a Scottish man growing up with Tourette’s syndrome, a neurological condition characterised by involuntary movements and sounds known as tics. In some cases, this can include ‘coprolalia’, the uncontrollable utterance of socially taboo words or slurs.

Actor Robert Aramayo, who portrays Davidson in the film, won best actor and the Rising Star Award at the ceremony.

Accepting his prize, Aramayo praised Davidson as “the most remarkable man I ever met,” adding: “He’s so forthcoming with education and he believes there should be still so much more we need to learn about Tourette’s.

“For people living with Tourette’s, it’s us around them who help them define what their experience is. So, to quote the film, they need support and understanding.”

Some attendees defended Davidson, arguing the episode highlighted how misunderstood Tourette’s remains and praising the ceremony’s attempts to contextualise his tics. Others, particularly some international guests, felt the racial slur crossed a line regardless of cause, and said the language could have been distressing for presenters on stage.

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Featured image credit: BBC, Alan West/Hogan Media/Shutterstock