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

By that logic, it's relevant to see a black man and call him a n* word then?

Come on! 🙄

You are in the incredibly lucky position of not having this disability and hopefully understand that tics are INVOLUNTARY.

My daughter's Tourettes causes her physical pain, exhaustion and embarrassment. Thank your lucky stars that's not your burden.

What I want is for the BBC to reassess their editorial decisions going forward.

Because you can control your emotions, you can use rationale to understand that it isn’t a deliberate insult. You can use your maturity to accept disability and you can use common sense to educate yourself about the condition. Not being insulted isn’t a ‘right’. It’s not ingrained in our laws or legislation. You can make a choice whether to be insulted or see it for what it is.

The person with Tourette’s has no control over their tics. They do however have the right to equal opportunities that ARE written into our laws.

Thank heavens since the level of prejudice against disability on this thread is awful!

I mean, all you are saying here is that you are ignorant about John Davidson's condition and can't be fucked to educate yourself.

Deep legal trouble for saying that people should stay at home rather than shout the n-word?

What’s that got to do with anything?

I could claim to be a wheelchair user to get a priority area on the bus. Should we remove that just in case someone pretends they’re a wheelchair user?

Cause when black people say the n word to one another it’s not filled with hate and racial bigotry. It’s an act of reclaiming it as it strips it of its original hateful intent

I hadn't realized quite how racist this site was until now. As to the people comparing this to him swearing at the Queen, get a grip.

It’s extremely uncomfortable to watch.

the most uncomfortable person will be John Davidson

Obviously it's not totally random, it's often the most inappropriate thing that could be said in any situation, which this most certainly was. It's just that the sufferer cannot control themselves to not say it.

And neither did John Davidson. He had a tic.
Calling a man who has achieved remarkable things as a campaigner, and overcome huge odds, a racist because of his disability, is disgusting. You should be really ashamed of yourself tbh.

When he said it it wasn't filled with hate and bigotry either.

You haven't realised that this demonstrated, in real life, the disability John's film was about?

Cutting it out would have implied he is shameful.

I didn't know it was neurological. And I'm sorry I didn't mean to be disrespectful.

Not the same scenario at all. I find all the people bending over backwards to excuse this man very distasteful.

Neither was this, but you said it was abuse anyway. By your logic, it's always abuse regardless of context.

I speak at universities. Sometimes there have been disabled students. As a PoC, I have no issue if I am called a Pa** by someone who can't help it.

I would have a BIG issue if clips of that event were then circulated on the net to discredit me. That's the point.

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.

It doesn't at all - I think having it shouted at you in front of an audience while presenting an award is quite different from hearing it in a song or it being used by a friend towards you.

Because ignorance isn't a disability and Tourette's is.

The only people being bigots are those - like yourself - who don't understand that John Davidson was not being racist.

And it's not racist to defend him either.

HTH.

Are you a troll or just a complete idiot?

Thanks, that’s very helpful.