BBC Admits "Genuine Mistake" in Broadcast of Racial Slur During 2026 Baftas

Tim Davie apologizes for the broadcast of a racial slur during the 2026 Baftas, explaining that a secondary incident led to an edit-room misunderstanding.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 6, 2026, 9:08 AM EST

Source: BBC new

The Timeline of the "Edit-Room Misunderstanding"

The controversy began when John Davidson, a prominent Tourette's campaigner and subject of the Bafta-winning documentary I Swear, involuntarily shouted a racial slur while actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting an award.

According to Tim Davie, the on-site broadcast team missed the first instance because the audio was muffled on their live feed. However, approximately ten minutes later, a second instance of the slur occurred while actress Wunmi Mosaku was accepting her Best Supporting Actress prize. The edit team heard this second instance and removed it immediately for the tape-delayed broadcast. When reports later arrived from Warner Bros. and Bafta officials that a slur had been shouted, the team mistakenly believed they had already addressed the issue by cutting the second incident.

The Delay in iPlayer Removal

Despite immediate social media backlash on the night of the ceremony, the unedited version remained on BBC iPlayer until Monday morning. Davie acknowledged that the on-site team initially doubted the slur was audible to the general public. It was only after the issue was escalated to Chief Content Officer Kate Phillips the following morning that the ceremony was pulled for re-editing. The BBC is currently investigating why post-broadcast reports were not acted upon more swiftly to protect viewers and the dignity of the presenters involved.

Impact on Presenters and the Tourette's Community