John Davidson shouting the N word during the BAFTAS

[Crawse]

John Davidson has Tourettes and is a campaigner for the condition. Whist Michale B Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting he shouted out the racial slur. It’s extremely uncomfortable to watch. I feel terrible for the two presenters. I’m really conflicted on this one.

What are your thoughts?

No one should be subjected to abuse. That is my bottom line. Maybe the fact I was called P*** (I’m half Indian) growing up has influenced my views. I obviously recognise Tourette’s is involuntary.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/02/22/entertainment/baftas-2026-tourettes-racist-slur

What is pathetic is your limited range.

I am quite capable of recognising disability AND impact over intent.

Have you got what i said? I am serious that the broadcast should have been edited. I don;t think JD should have been excluded.

And lots of people agree with me. I am not a troll. You can search my name,

{mention:loislovesstewie}@loislovesstewieIf it was to the extent that they could seriously verbally or physically abuse other guests, then I would exclude them from the wedding. If I was so desperate for my child/relative to attend the wedding, then I would make sure it was a wedding attended by close family only, who would, no doubt, understand and be used to my child's condition. My BIL has Schizophrenia and can display violent, erratic behaviour. We took the decision not to invite him to our wedding for his own sake and that of the other guests.

My partner is also half-Indian and has been called the p-word his entire life. He's also seen the film and loved it. Given the choice between being called the slur again or being forced to shout it continually to a complete stranger on the world's stage in front of cameras and have his reputation dragged through the mud, he knows what he'd pick. That's just his take.

I feel terrible for all 3 men who were put in a difficult situation. Compassion is an endless resource, we don't need reserve it for one party.

How do you feel about black men calling other black men the 'n' word?

I can see both sides. The presenters should not be subjected to abusive language (particularly the term that was used). That said, it was an involuntary manifestation of a disability and unless we’re going to say all people with disability have to stay away from public events, I don’t see how it can be addressed.

Wow, there’s a lot of education on Tourette’s still needed by the looks of it.

My parents have a friend with it, he mutters ‘wanker’, just that, nothing else. Obviously this has caused him all sorts of issues throughout his life and he’s deliberately sought out a job that has minimal content with people for this reason, though he still can’t avoid things like supermarket queues where his tic can get peoples dander up. Dad says he’s a lovely guy and really feels for him.
It’s a shitty condition because it forces some of those who have it to involuntarily smash the social niceties that keep everyday interactions amicable. It’s these very social niceties that can cause some to have ‘offensive’ tics, because there’s a link between the emotional and social charge they carry and the compulsion to say them. It’s not what they’re thinking, it’s actually the opposite.
That’s why there no point in getting hurt about what JD said, beacuse it’s not what he’s thinking. There’s no intent behind it. I suspect that’s why the BBC didn’t cut it but did cut an overt political statement. One carries absolutely no intent and is a manifestation of a man’s neurological disability, a man who is a highly regarded campaigner and there to celebrate award nominations for a film that is part of his dedicated campaigning, and who other attendees were informed could tic during the event. The other is an intentional political statement tagged on to a speech for an award given for something completely unrelated just because the speaker had a platform.
They are not the same at all, and even insisting there’s a connection is crass to say the least.

By editing, as the BBC has done?

I think many posters are missing this and are saying that disabled people should not be excluded. I agree they shouldn't be, but broadcasts can be edited.

Yes, not attending a publicly televised awards ceremony when you have a history of yelling racist epithets at black people is exactly the same situation as locking someone with a disability away from everyone always.

Come on. Those other attendees had the right to be able to do their job without being subjected publicly to being called n*ggers. If John decided to sit and watch the whole thing knowing full well he might do what he did, instead of coming in for his own segment, then he is placing his own desires over the wellbeing and rights of others.

I'm honestly shocked at the people on here defending it. Seeing how happily people will handwave away the rights and wellbeing of people who are black in order to virtue signal how anti-ableist they are is telling.

If my disability causes me to randomly walk up to people and start urinating all over them it's my responsibility to ensure I'm not in a position to do that. Jesus christ.

They have cut it.

And you don't think banning him from the audience would've made a complete nonsense of the film the BAFTA award was for?

The idea of the film was to EDUCATE others on Tourette's.

Which is something that's completely lost on so many posters on this thread.

A sincere question to everyone defending Davidson here: how far would you take it? If someone with Tourette’s was shouting to random women in the street that he was going to rape them, would you think he should stay home? Sincere question.

Hyperbole is required when it's difficult to defend your position from a place of calm rationality. It's called straw manning.

It's difficult to defend somebody who knows that they are likely to yell racist epithets at people choosing to sit in a position where they might abuse someone publicly. Instead of, you know, waiting outside or in another area until their segment occurs.

But if you can pretend that anyone claiming otherwise is advocating for locking disabled people away, that's much easier to refute.

I say this as a disabled person.

I think all parties in this are exhausted. I wonder whether this could be framed as ‘these words are not acceptable, but on this occasion only, for three hours, we ask it be ignored to allow John to participate’.

I was reminded a while ago (in a discussion about prams v wheelchairs on the bus) that wheelchair users never get a day off. It’s not a difficult 3 years while your baby needs a pram, it’s always and forever. The same is true of Tourette’s and of those traumatised by racism. It’s always there. Can we make spaces for all people to have a chance to fully participate.

there is a difference between excluding someone because they are disabled, and excluding someone because of something that arises in consequence of that disability.

For example. If John applied for work as a funeral director. It would be illegal to say no we are not giving you that job because you have Tourette’s.

However. It may be lawful to say we can’t give you that job because of your propensity to have offensive outbursts in consequence of the tics arising from your Tourette’s. And we need to be able to provide our services in a sensitive way at all times, and there’s no other way than by not giving you the job we can do that.

So there is a difference and it’s not always straightforward. Clearly I know there’s a difference between a social occasion and work.

I am not what anyone would call a progressive and I do not come online to perform outrage anymore than I shit over the men, the working class or disabled ✌🏾.

I'm honestly shocked at the people on here defending it. Seeing how happily people will handwave away the rights and wellbeing of people who are black in order to virtue signal how anti-ableist they are is telling.

Suspect it would have been a different story had he shouted something like “I want to lick your p*ssy” at a female presenter.

He has a history of yelling all sorts of things at all sorts of people.

So the answer would obviously be to lock him up lest he offend someone with his disability.

No. I am mixed race and have experienced racial slurs and discrimination direct and indirectly. At no level would I be offended by words that are tics from someone with Tourettes. And as someone said this event was featuring a film specifically about Tourettes and the perdon himself! Come on. If this is the reaction then John Davidson will have gone home with his head in his hands at the hopelessness of the condition and the chance of ever being understood. Made the award seem pointless!!

The people who work with or are related to Tourette’s sufferers do. When you know the person shouting has Tourette’s, I think you let it go. I mean, if I worked with people with Tourette’s, I’d get a lot of ‘fatso’ comments I think. My grandfather certainly said it a lot. Things generally lose their power when you understand the impulse behind it.

Didn’t poor John get actually physically abused multiple times during his life because of his involuntary condition?
This thread is really showing the ignorant idiots up!

No I don't think he should stay home. I'm mean for what, the rest of his life??

I would expect anyone scared by it and unaware that he was ticcing, to call the police.

And I would expect the police to show compassion and gently guide him home.

We're long past the days of locking people up when they have disabilities.

I have a disability, not Tourette's but something that can have a negative impact on those around me. It is not my fault and I don't think anyone understands how awful it is to live with it day in day out but I also understand that it is not other people's fault either and as such I always explain and apologise if my disability causes an issue, and take action to try and minimise the impact on others. I do this to protect people around me, but also myself as I feel guilty and embarrassed afterwards. I don't know anything about Tourette's or about John Davidson but in my opinion BBC should have cut the slur out.

It’s a sad situation all round. Practically, John should have been seated out of earshot to the stage, I think.

I just wish I could give all three of them a hug.