John Davidson criticises mic placement at BAFTAs after racial slur
John Davidson, a man with Tourette's who shouted a racial slur during the BAFTAs, has said he questions whether it was wise to seat him near a microphone.
The actor Robert Aramayo won a Best Actor BAFTA for playing John in the film I Swear, which also won the Best Casting accolade, with the movie being based on his life and experiences with Tourette's.
During the awards ceremony, while Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage, John had a tic that caused him to shout a racial slur, and the moment was included in the BBC's broadcast of the BAFTAs, which is released two hours after the ceremony begins. The version viewable on BBC iPlayer was later edited to remove the slur.
John, who also shouted other things during the BAFTAs due to his tics, voluntarily left the awards ceremony and later spoke out to say he was 'mortified' and had left because he was 'aware of the distress my tics were causing'.
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Speaking to Variety, John said he'd got in touch with the studio that made Sinners to apologise to Jordan, Lindo and Hannah Beachler, and that he 'can’t begin to explain how upset and distraught I have been as the impact from Sunday sinks in'.
John explained that when he gets tics, he has 'no idea when they are coming or what they will be', and what he says during a tic has 'absolutely nothing to do with what I think, feel or believe'.
He said that he 'ticked perhaps 10 different offensive words on the night of the awards' and he had been told any swearing would be edited out of the broadcast.
During awards ceremonies, there are microphones placed around the audience to pick up applause and cheers, and John said he questioned how wise it was to have him sit near one.
John said: "StudioCanal were working closely with BAFTA, and BAFTA had made us all aware that any swearing would be edited out of the broadcast.
"I have made four documentaries with the BBC in the past, and feel that they should have been aware of what to expect from Tourette’s and worked harder to prevent anything that I said — which, after all, was some 40 rows back from the stage — from being included in the broadcast.
"As I reflect on the auditorium, I remember there was a microphone just in front of me, and with hindsight I have to question whether this was wise, so close to where I was seated, knowing I would tic."
The BBC reported that the language 'arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette syndrome' and, in a statement, said: "Some viewers may have heard strong and offensive language during the BAFTA Film Awards. This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette syndrome, and as explained during the ceremony it was not intentional.
"We apologise that this was not edited out prior to broadcast and it has been removed from BBC iPlayer."
Chief Content Officer Kate Phillips said another racial slur had been edited out and the one shouted while Jordan and Lindo were on stage 'was aired in error and we would never have knowingly allowed this to be broadcast'.
They said the editing of the BAFTAs was done from a TV truck, and producers did not hear the racial slur, which made it into the broadcast.
A BBC spokesperson said: "The BBC has been reviewing what happened at BAFTA on Sunday evening. This was a serious mistake and the Director-General has instructed the Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) to complete a fast-tracked investigation and provide a full response to complainants."
In a statement, the BAFTAs said they 'apologise unreservedly' to Jordan and Lindo, and thanked John 'for his dignity and consideration of others, on what should have been a night of celebration for him'.
They said: "We take full responsibility for putting our guests in a very difficult situation and we apologise to all. We will learn from this, and keep inclusion at the core of all we do, maintaining our belief in film and storytelling as a critical conduit for compassion and empathy."
The BAFTAs have also said they want to 'assure all our members that a comprehensive review is under way'.
What is coprolalia (involuntary swearing)?
Coprolalia affects one in 10 people with Tourette's syndrome, and it means they will involuntarily blurt out obscene language.
The Tourette Association of America writes: "Particularly embarrassing for some individuals with coprolalia are involuntary outbursts within social contexts, such as racial or ethnic slurs in the company of the very people who would be most offended by such remarks.
"A minority of people with coprolalia have this particular problem. It is crucial to understand that these words or complex phrases do not necessarily reflect the thoughts, beliefs or opinions of the person with coprolalia."
The CDC emphasises that people with Tourette's cannot control their tics, saying many people compare it to 'having an itch or having to sneeze'.
The website explains: "You may try to stop the feeling, but eventually you will probably scratch or sneeze and you will feel a little better until the urge comes back.
"When people try to hold back their tics, it can cause stress, and the tic may become worse."
John Davidson and Robert Aramayo, pictured with Dottie Achenbach (Carlo Paloni/BAFTA via Getty Images)
Who is John Davidson?
Davidson was the subject of the 1989 BBC documentary John's Not Mad, which followed him as a 16-year-old schoolboy diagnosed with severe Tourette's syndrome.
He appeared in several follow-up documentaries as he grew up, and his story has been adapted into the film I Swear.
Robert Aramayo stars as Davidson and won Best Actor at the BAFTAs, beating out Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ethan Hawke and Michael B Jordan.
Davidson went on to be honoured with an MBE in 2019, and due to his nerves exacerbating his tics, he swore in front of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
He told the BBC: "I began ticcing and shouting and I was absolutely mortified.
"But then I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was one of the Royal Archers, the Queen's bodyguards while she's in Holyrood, and a voice said 'Don't stress, she knows all about your condition'.
"That to me was huge because I've struggled so much with everyday life, with people misunderstanding, and if the Queen of the United Kingdom can understand and ignore the tics and the swear words then why can't the rest of society?"
LADbible Group has contacted the BAFTAs for further comment.
Joe Harker