BBC 'profoundly regrets' BAFTAs incident, says director general Tim Davie

BBC Director Breaks Silence On John Davidson's Racial Slur At BAFTA Awards & Admits Airing It Was A "Genuine Mistake"

The BBC just dropped a detail report breaking down the events that led up to the racial slur incident at the BAFTA Film Awards. In the document, BBC Director-General Tim Davie admitted the network failed to edit out the moment when Tourette’s advocate John Davidson shouted the N-word at Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo while they stood on stage. Davidson has already spoke about the moment, but now the BBC says it’s taking full accountability f…

BBC boss explains why N-word aired during BAFTAs broadcast: 'It was a genuine mistake'

"We understand the hurt and shock that the mistake caused," said outgoing BBC director-general Tim Davie.Outgoing BBC director general Tim Davie; Tourette syndrome activist John Davidson at the 2026 BAFTA Film AwardsCredit: Lucy North/PA Images; Jeff Spicer/GettyAlmost two weeks after the BBC aired a racial slur that was shouted during the broadcast of this year's BAFTA Film Awards, its outgoing director-general Tim Davie is officially sharing t…

BBC boss calls on-air n-word incident at BAFTAs ‘genuine human error’

Outgoing BBC director-general Tim Davie addressed the controversial on-air incident, which saw Tourette’s advocate John Davidson involuntarily call out the “n-word” while actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting on stage at the award show last month, including why the moment was not initially scrubbed from the broadcast. In a letter to the chair of the U.K. government’s Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Davie on Friday said th…

The BBC Gives Its Side of the BAFTA Story: ‘Genuine Error’

In a letter to a U.K. government committee, BBC director-general Tim Davie called it a ‘genuine error’ that the N-word was left in the BAFTAs broadcast and acknowledged concerns about why it remained on iPlayer for 15 hours after the ceremony.

BBC's Outgoing Director-General Tim Davie "Profoundly Regrets" BAFTA Racial Slur Incident

Tim Davie today, writing to the Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) Committee Chairman Caroline Dinenage: “I’d like to make clear: although the racial slur was symptomatic of a disability and an involuntary tic, it should never have been broadcast. It was a genuine mistake, and we take full responsibility for our error.” On why the…

BBC boss says broadcast team 'didn't hear' racial slur live during Baftas

Tim Davie said the corporation “profoundly regrets” what happened.