The British Broadcasting Corp. has come under fire after a racial slur was heard during its televised coverage of the Bafta Film Awards 2026. The controversy has raised eyebrows because the ceremony was not broadcast live but aired after a two-hour delay, allowing time for edits before transmission.
The moment occurred inside London's Royal Festival Hall when John Davidson, a Scottish Tourette syndrome campaigner and the subject of the biopic I Swear, made several involuntary vocal outbursts from the audience. During one such episode — while Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting the Best Visual Effects award — a racial slur was heard in the auditorium. Though the word was not distinctly clear in the televised audio, it was not removed from the BBC's final cut and remained accessible on iPlayer.
Following backlash, the broadcaster released a statement acknowledging that viewers may have heard “strong and offensive language.” It clarified that the outburst stemmed from involuntary symptoms associated with Tourette syndrome and was not intentional. The BBC expressed regret for any distress caused.
Ceremony host Alan Cumming also briefly addressed the issue during the event, apologising to anyone who may have been offended.
However, the handling of the incident sparked further criticism online. Many questioned why the remark was not edited out, particularly given that the programme had been pre-recorded. Production designer Hannah Beachler reportedly criticised what she described as an inadequate on-stage response, suggesting that the apology did not sufficiently address the seriousness of the moment.
Adding to the debate, the BBC confirmed it had edited part of an acceptance speech during the same broadcast.
Filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr., who won Outstanding Debut by a British writer, director or producer for My Father's Shadow, ended his speech with the words "free Palestine". That line was not included in the television version.
The BBC defended the edit, claiming that the three-hour ceremony must be reduced to fit a two-hour broadcast slot and that several speeches were "shortened for timing". It added that complete versions of all speeches are available on Bafta's official digital channels.
The sequence of edits has raised fresh questions about how sensitive moments were handled during one of Britain's most high-profile film events.
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