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 the fuck is this thread turning into?

A guy with a disability, and is a huge advocate for that disability and getting people educated on it should be hidden away in case his disability upsets other people?

It's not the same as people with epilepsy not being able to drive at all, being in a car and having a fit could result in multiple deaths. A tic could result in someone being offended.

Absolutely bullshit.

I understand Tourette’s is a disability. But would like to understand why the tics are always slurs/horrible words, as opposed to more neutral/random ones that don’t apply to the current situation?

Agreed.

Being insulted by a person with Tourette's is a personal choice, when you know for a fact they can't help it.

‘Something rude’?! The n-word is largely considered the single most vile word in the English language. Those two men were subjected to that term for the crime of being black.

My understanding is that - in this form - it's like an intrusive thought. You think 'what's the most inappropriate thing I could possible say in this moment' and then compels you to do it.

My heart breaks for John. His father walked out when he was a child and he spent his teenage years being punished for behaviour he had no control of. He's done so much for others, he deserves kindness and understanding.

Bloody hell

If only there was a wealth of information out there for you to access if you were truly interested in learning...

I guess not. I guess I thought you might have a way to make yourself say 'tigger' or something? It's true I don't know much about it and I didn't mean to be disrespectful to people who have it.

I don't think Davidson should have been banned, but I also don't think he would object to his outburst being edited out so Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo- two incredible actors- could enjoy their very rare moment in the sun before it's all Brad Pitt and Leo Di Caprio again.

They're not always.

Very often they're secrets blurted out.

So for example if you told someone with Tourette's not to mention what you've got your husband for his birthday, it's very likely to be the first thing they'll blurt out.

So what do you think he should do? Spend his life in a cupboard?
You acknowledge that his actions are completely involuntary and yet you say your bottom line is no one should be saying those things?? These two things contradict each other.
Hopefully the fantastic men are more educated and compassionate and understand that this is out of his control and respect him for his bravery. This will have been mortifying for him.

He’s ticking. Obscenities are what come out.

I feel sorry for everyone involved here.

However, if the BBC would have (and maybe did, how would we know?) edited out him shouting 'cunt' or 'motherfucker' then they absolutely should have edited this out. They must have had a plan, must have identified the risks with actions they would take etc?

I am curious though.

Why was the racial slur outburst kept in by the BBC’s transmission but they had sufficient time to cut Akinola Davies Jnr saying “Free Palestine”.

…..?

They see racial slurs as less liable to cause offense than “Free Palestine” it appears.

They aren't always slurs or swearing.

My dd says all types of things, sometimes she calls me a slag, sometimes she whistles, sometimes she will scream toast and jam sometimes she blinks really hard.

Thats a very ignorant comment.

The reason he said it is because tourettes can sometimes make people shout out the worst possibly thing they could, everyone knows the worst word you could say to a black person. It doesn't mean he's racist, it means he knows what that word means.

The BBC are at fault here for not editing it out. The clip has now been shared far and wide - with people laughing in response to it and spewing racial hatred in the comments. Absolutely awful for all involved.

Oh did they? I see.
That speaks well of their priorities. Not.

This is the real question...

I once watched a very moving documentary about a man with Tourettes - so severe he couldn't function in society - couldn't even order a takeaway pizza as he couldn't get the words out that he wanted to say due to the tics. He eventually took his own life. The only person in the scenario at the Baftas that I feel sorry for is the poor man with the disability.

Great. Two fine actors now reduced to Maga memes because of the BBC inaction. I doubt Davidson wanted that.

https://tourette.org/resource/understanding-coprolalia/

Exactly what I'm wondering. He chose a word seemingly appropriate (to him) for the occasion - he chose the n word so it is not completely random is it. But there appears to be a lot of Tourette syndrome experts on this thread so hopefully I will be put in my place soon.

Exactly this. Leaving aside whether or not people believe Tourette’s can make people racist (and I would expect him to racially abuse most attendees if so, the BBC made a conscious decision to leave it in while removing other things they felt liable to cause offence.

Instead they chose to make MBJ and Lindo a laughing stock for racists.