John Davidson raises questions of BBC after Bafta's Tourette debacle

The campaigner whose Tourette syndrome led to him shouting a racial slur during the Bafta film awards has stated the BBC should have "worked harder" to prevent its broadcast. John Davidson, speaking in what is understood to be his first interview since Sunday’s ceremony, told US entertainment magazine Variety that he "had an expectation that the BBC would physically control the sound" at the event.

Davidson’s shouts were audible as Sinners stars Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo presented the award for special visual effects at London’s Royal Festival Hall. He recounted to Variety that a microphone was positioned "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".

He added: "Bafta had made us all aware that any swearing would be edited out of the broadcast." Davidson, who has made four documentaries with the BBC previously, expressed his belief that the broadcaster "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."

Film studio Warner Bros reportedly raised immediate concerns about the racial slur and requested its removal from the BBC broadcast, the Press Association understands. However, the slur could still be heard when the ceremony aired two hours later. The BBC has since apologised for not editing the slur out and has removed it from the version available on iPlayer.

John DavidsonPA

Davidson described how his tics initially manifested as "noises and movements, but the more nervous I got, the more my tics ramped up". When his coprolalia, which causes involuntary swearing and inappropriate language, emerged, he said "my stomach just dropped".

He initially believed his tics were not being heard on stage. "From the lack of response from the early presenters to my tics, and with no-one turning around to look at me, I assumed, like everyone else, that I could not be heard on the stage," he explained. His awareness changed when "Delroy and Michael B Jordan appeared to look up from their role as presenters, and soon after that I decided to leave the auditorium." The experience left him feeling a "wave of shame and embarrassment hit me all at once. You want the floor to swallow you up. I wanted to disappear."

Davidson attended the awards as an active executive producer for the film I Swear, which chronicles his life with Tourette syndrome, a condition he developed at 12. The film saw Robert Aramayo win best actor for his performance and also secured an award for best casting.

"This was an awards ceremony that featured six nominations connected to a film that told the story of my life living with Tourette’s. I had as much right to attend as anyone," Davidson told Variety. He recalled the initial joy: "I was thrilled to see that on the night, everyone — including some of the most well-respected and famous people from the film world — cheered at my name and applauded. I stood and waved to show my appreciation and acknowledged that this was a significant moment in my life, finally being accepted. It started as one of the most memorable experiences of my life."

Davidson, who previously stated he was "mortified" by the incident, wants the public to understand that his tics are not a reflection of his beliefs but an "involuntary neurological misfire". He clarified: "What you hear me shouting is literally the last thing in the world I believe; it is the opposite of what I believe. The most offensive word that I ticked at the ceremony, for example, is a word I would never use and would completely condemn if I did not have Tourette’s." He also noted that he shouted many other words during the ceremony, including "boring" and "paedophile", adding: "I would appreciate reports of the event explaining that I ticked perhaps 10 different offensive words on the night of the awards."

Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo were both on stage when Davidson shouted the slurGetty

The fallout from Sunday’s event prompted filmmaker Jonte Richardson to resign as a Bafta judge, stating on LinkedIn that he felt "compelled to withdraw from the Bafta emerging talent judging panel". During the broadcast, ceremony presenter Alan Cumming apologised for any language viewers might have heard.

Bafta issued an apology on Monday night, accepting "full responsibility" for placing its guests in a "difficult situation". The academy also apologised "unreservedly" to Jordan and Lindo, and "to all those impacted", thanking them for their "incredible dignity and professionalism".

The BBC has been approached for further comment.