The BBC says it is carrying out a “fast-tracked” investigation after failing to edit out a racial slur, shouted by a Tourette’s campaigner, from its BAFTAs broadcast on Sunday.
John Davidson, who suffers from the neurological condition, shouted out as the first award of the night was presented on stage by Sinners stars Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo.
The BAFTAs programme was edited down from the three-hour live show filmed two hours earlier that evening at London’s Royal Festival Hall, and went out on BBC1 at 7pm. The offending moment could be watched on BBC iPlayer for more than 12 hours before the programme was pulled to be edited:
Viewers then saw the message: “This episode will be available soon.”
A BBC spokesperson said: “The BBC has been reviewing what happened at BAFTA on Sunday evening.
“This was a serious mistake and the director general has instructed the Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) to complete a fast-tracked investigation and provide a full response to complainants.”
The BBC apologised earlier this week and said the slur had been missed and “aired in error”.
During the broadcast, the ceremony’s presenter Alan Cumming apologised for the language viewers may have heard.
Both Lindo and Jordan appeared to pause after the insult was heard, then continued their presentation.
Davidson, who was attending the ceremony as the inspiration behind the film I Swear, which dramatises his life, has said he is “deeply mortified” his involuntary tics caused him to yell out the offensive language.
The backlash to the incident has overshadowed the film’s success at the ceremony, with star Robert Aramayo, who plays Davidson, taking home the best actor award over the likes of favourite Timothee Chalamet and Hollywood royalty Leonardo DiCaprio.
Have lessons been learned?
The BBC’s investigation announcement on Wednesday came as the Culture, Media and Sport Committee (CMS) wrote to outgoing director-general Tim Davie “seeking an explanation” for how the racial slur ended up in the broadcast “in spite of a two-hour time delay”.
Chairwoman Dame Caroline Dinenage referenced the broadcaster’s coverage of last year’s Glastonbury festival, when punk-rap duo Bob Vylan’s set went out on live stream.
The “latest incident raises questions about the extent to which lessons have been learned and about the controls and systems you have in place to prevent such incidents,” Dame Caroline said.
BAFTA has apologised “unreservedly” to Jordan and Lindo, as well as “all those impacted”.
“During the ceremony, John chose to leave the auditorium and watch the rest of the ceremony from a screen, and we would like to thank him for his dignity and consideration of others on what should have been a night of celebration for him,” the organisation said in a statement.
“We take full responsibility for putting our guests in a very difficult situation and we apologise to all. We will learn from this and keep inclusion at the core of all we do, maintaining our belief in film and storytelling as a critical conduit for compassion and empathy.”
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In an interview with US entertainment outlet Variety, Davidson said the BBC should have “worked harder” to ensure his slur was not broadcast.
“BAFTA had made us all aware that any swearing would be edited out of the broadcast,” he said.
“I have made four documentaries with the BBC in the past and feel that they should have been aware of what to expect from Tourette’s, and worked harder to prevent anything that I said – which, after all, was some 40 rows back from the stage – from being included in the broadcast.”
On Tuesday, Labour MP Dawn Butler wrote to the BBC, calling for an “urgent explanation” and calling the broadcast “painful and unforgivable”.
Meanwhile, filmmaker Jonte Richardson said he was stepping down as a BAFTA emerging talent judge over the organisation’s handling of the incident.
