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

This man literally has tourettes.

He can have any tic at any time, he can't help it as much as you couldn't help a hiccup.

The answer is education, not hiding people with tourettes away.

Coprolalia is involuntary swearing or the involuntary utterance of obscene words or socially inappropriate and derogatory remarks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coprolalia

That is literally the hallmark and primary symptom of the disease. Sufferers also frequently do things like shout "I have a bomb" at airport security, for instance. Their brain finds whatever is worst/most taboo in the given moment.

Why is that important to be left in and used as meme material for racists but a political statements made by an actor should be edited out lest it cause offence.

If your DD called me a slur, I would not be happy. I don't care if she says she 'cant help it'. Why is my right not to be insulted less important than her right to go around being offensive?

It's based on the situation. When a tube is coming I always think about jumping in front of it. When I'm over a drain I think about dropping my keys. I never think about those things when sat on a sofa.

The tick is based on relevance.

To say someone should be confined to a back room, or shouldn't be on TV is disgusting and if the means were there to identify them, those posters above would no doubt be in deep legal trouble

I am 54 so apparently if people- lets say a child or a very old person- calls me a Pa** , I should be unaffected because I am not a 6-year-old.🙄

And should he have removed himself whenever a woman was on stage in case he shouted ‘cunt’? Perhaps he should lock himself away full stop.

The irony on this thread is something else isn’t it?

Everyone is getting offended on behalf of them. Maybe, just maybe, as fellow actors, they’ve watched the film, educated themselves, the best actor award went to that film and John’s tic just showed it for the horrific disability it is so they’ve understood it perfectly despite it being extremely unpleasant (I’d imagine so I’m not speaking for them).

Should all disabled people stay at home rather than getting on with life and having a successful hairdressing business? Luckily all involved seem fine by it.

Anyway this is a problem of the BBC’s making due to their weird editorial decision making.

I realise this is a serious discussion and I have now read all of the points.

I wonder if I was alone in initially mis reading the name as Jim Davidson and coming onto the thread all guns blazing.

It’s totally random the word that appears as the current tic word.
excruciating and awful for all concerned.

Just to add people with epilepsy are allowed to drive. You are not allowed to drive if you have uncontrolled epilepsy that does not respond to medication, because of the risk of being behind the wheel of a fast moving vehicle. But if you’re lucky and it responds to medication you can.

1 in 26 people will develop epilepsy in their lifetimes, it’s really really common but lots of people who have it and can control it with medication, hide it because of fear of discrimination. Much the sort of discrimination this guy with Tourette’s is facing here

You are being incredibly offensive to people with Tourette’s with your posts. Since you’re so concerned about people saying offensive things I presume you’ll be apologising.

Get a grip.

What exactly do the outraged want now?

It's happened, it can't unhappen. All the empathy for people hearing a word and no empathy for people who cannot stop themselves saying a word. Their WHOLE lives. Imagine for one moment living your whole life with this condition. Hellish.

If the Queen can get through hearing some words, so can everyone else.

Funny that, it's 'totally random' that the relevant racial slur was directed at the two men. Doesn't sound all that 'random' to me.

If they were abused by the mere use of a word, then it also follows that any time the N-word is used is abuse - when it's used by black people, in rap songs, in films, anywhere.

Do you think that poc can't understand context, and are so lacking in agency that they are perpetually at risk of abuse in this way?

Do you think racial slurs should be banned in all contexts, just in case a poc hears or reads it and is therefore abused?

No-one is - we're saying there's a difference between it being uttered as a tic by a disabled person, and used with deliberate intent to hurt and abuse.

Why would you think this?

This is a discussion surrounding a specific disability which unfortunately manifests in the sufferer involuntarily shouting out things they know are inappropriate, but they can't stop it. Why is that comparable to someone being old or being a child, both of whom would have capacity a person with Tourettes does not have?

The only way it could be comparable is if the very old person has severe dementia and has therefore lost control of their mental faculties.

There are plenty of people on this thread who are proving themselves to be dicks anyway.

Do you think this man has pretended all these years to have tourettes, advocate for education and make a film in order to be invited to an awards show just so he could shout a slur? That's a lot of commitment.

He should not have been invited to receive his award for a film about his disability?

Come on.

Oh, I've got a better idea! No films should be made about disabilities. And if any of the sneaky buggers manage to make a film, they should definitely not be given any awards!

Then the ceremonies can take place in the atmosphere of peacefully mutual ego-stroking we all expect from such events. Can't have films about awkward subjects winning awards, or celebs might have to actually confront those awkward subjects for a moment. The horror.

“The real issue is that these are grown men and it actually won't hurt them to hear the"n-word". Chances are they have said it themselves a fair few times”

“But they are grown men, not six year olds”

appalling take. When black people use the n word to one another they are saying it in a way that is reclaiming and disarming the slur.

It’ll have been worse/more mortifying for John Davidson than it was for you don’t worry.