The BAFTA Film Awards ceremony has been described as “trauma triggering” by host Alan Cumming, following an incident during which a racial slur was shouted from the audience and broadcast by the BBC. Cumming’s statement, released one week after the event, also criticized decisions to “broadcast slurs and censor free speech.”
The disruption occurred while actors Delroy Lindo and Michael B. Jordan were presenting the award for special visual effects. John Davidson, a Scottish campaigner with Tourette’s syndrome, shouted the slur, which was audible during the BBC’s broadcast. Cumming immediately apologized on air, acknowledging that viewers may have heard offensive language.
“It’s now a week since I hosted the BAFTAs,” Cumming wrote in an Instagram post. “What should have been an evening celebrating creativity and inclusion turned into a trauma-triggering shitshow. I’m so sorry for all the pain Black people have felt hearing that word echoed round the world.”
The BBC subsequently apologized for failing to edit the slur from the broadcast and announced a “quick-tracked investigation” by its executive complaints unit. Davidson, who was at the awards representing the film I Swear – a documentary about his life with Tourette’s – expressed his distress over the incident, stating the BBC “should have worked harder” to prevent the broadcast of the offensive language, according to a report in Variety.
Cumming, who also hosts the US version of The Traitors, further stated his regret that the Tourette’s community had been “reminded of the lack of understanding and tolerance that abounds regarding their condition.” He added, “The only possible quality that could come of this is a reminder that words matter, that rushing to judgment about things of which we are not fully cognisant is folly, that all trauma must be recognised and honoured.”
Delroy Lindo addressed the incident at the NAACP Image Awards in California, expressing gratitude for the support received. “We appreciate, I appreciate, all of the support and love we have been shown in the aftermath of what happened last weekend, it means a lot to us,” Lindo said. “It is an honour to be here amongst our people this evening, amongst so many people who have shown us such incredible support. And it’s a classic case of something that could’ve been very negative becoming very positive. Thank you so much for the support.”
Bafta has issued an apology, taking “full responsibility” for the situation and apologizing “unreservedly” to Michael B. Jordan, Delroy Lindo, and “to all those impacted.” The organization stated it would “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.”
Cumming also criticized the BBC’s decision to censor a portion of filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr.’s speech, referencing the network’s choice to cut out his comments regarding Palestine. “We were all let down by decisions made to both broadcast slurs and censor free speech,” he said.
