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BBC, BAFTA Apologize After Racial Slur Airs During BAFTA Telecast

The BBC cites involuntary Tourette tics for the audible outburst, prompting removal of the segment from iPlayer.

Overview

  • The slur was heard as Delroy Lindo and Michael B. Jordan presented an award, and the clip circulated widely online.
  • Tourette activist John Davidson, the real-life subject of the film I Swear, was identified as the source of the outburst.
  • Host Alan Cumming addressed the interruptions during the ceremony, explaining Tourette symptoms and thanking the audience for understanding.
  • Some actors, including Jamie Foxx and Wendell Pierce, condemned the response, while BAFTA winner Robert Aramayo said the utterance was an involuntary tic.
  • Viewers questioned the two-hour delayed broadcast’s editing after other remarks were censored, as the BBC apologized, pledged to remove the segment, and BAFTA said it is reviewing the incident.