BBC orders quick investigation into BAFTA broadcast slur | Arts and Culture News

British broadcaster has apologised for failing to edit out a racial slur shouted by a guest with Tourette syndrome.

The BBC said it will carry out a streamlined probe into its coverage of the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) after failing to censor a racial slur towards Black people.

The British broadcaster, which aired the awards on a two-hour delay, announced the upcoming investigation on Wednesday after growing backlash over the incident.

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The slur was shouted out by a guest with Tourette syndrome – a motor disorder that can cause repetitive sounds, including inappropriate language – as two Black actors presented an award.

The guest, activist John Davidson, was the real-life inspiration behind a BAFTA-nominated film, I Swear, that promoted awareness about people with Tourette syndrome.

The obscene language was heard in the final broadcast as well as on the BBC’s streaming service until Monday morning.

‘Opposite of what I believe’

Davidson said he “felt a wave of shame” over what happened and is “mortified” ⁠if anyone mistook his involuntary tics as deliberate.

“I want people to know and understand that my tics have absolutely nothing to do with what I think, feel or believe,” Davidson said in an interview with Variety.

“It’s an involuntary neurological misfire. My tics are not an intention, not a choice and not a reflection of my values. What you hear me shouting is literally the last thing in the world I believe; it is the opposite of what I believe,” he added.

The BBC said it was a “serious mistake” not to edit out the slur. Its Executive Complaints Unit was tasked with carrying out a “fast-tracked investigation and provide a full response to complainants”.

 

BBC News reported producers monitoring the event, which removed another racial slur from the broadcast, did not hear a second slur. It quoted a note from the broadcaster’s content chief, Kate Phillips, to staff: “We would never have knowingly allowed this to be broadcast.”

Separately, the BBC faced scrutiny for editing out part of a speech by prize-winning filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr, who said, “Free Palestine”.

In a statement to Deadline, a BBC spokesperson suggested the edit was made because of time constraints.

“The same happened to other speeches made during the night and all edits were made to ensure the programme was delivered to time,” said the unnamed spokesperson. “All winners’ speeches will be available to watch via Bafta’s YouTube channel.”

The BBC has previously faced criticism for coverage related to Israel and Gaza.

In June last year, the BBC opted not to broadcast a documentary it commissioned about medical workers in Gaza over what it described as “partiality” issues, a decision more than 100 of the broadcaster’s own journalists petitioned against.

The BBC was also previously accused of editing out pro-Palestinian displays during its coverage of the 2023 BAFTA Awards, including several appeals for a ceasefire in war-battered Gaza.