Baftas 2026: Alan Cumming thanks the audience for their “understanding” after racial slur
Alan Cumming thanked the audience of the Baftas 2026 ceremony for their “understanding” after a racial slur was directed at Delroy Lindo and Michael B Jordan.
The incident occurred when John Davidson, who has suffers from Tourette’s syndrome and inspired the film I Swear, shouted towards the stage.
Lindo and Jordan presented the first award of the night for ‘Best Visual Effects’, which was awarded to Avatar: Fire and Ash.
However, while they were on stage, Davidson shouted the N-word from his seat. The unfortunate situation then prompted Davidson to leave the ceremony, which Variety report was of his own accord rather than at the behest of Bafta.
Before he departed, Davidson also allegedly shouted “shut the fuck up” and “boring” when Bafta chair Sara Putt delivered a speech.
During the ceremony, host Alan Cumming twice acknowledged the remarks and made it clear to those in attendance that Davidson’s shouts were involuntary.
“You may have noticed some strong language in the background. This can be part of how Tourette’s syndrome shows up for some people as the film explores that experience,” Cumming told those in the room, before adding, “Thanks for your understanding and helping create a respectful space for everyone.”
Later on, he said, “Tourette’s Syndrome is a disability and the tics you’ve heard tonight are involuntary, which means the person who has Tourette’s Syndrome has no control over their language. We apologise if you are offended tonight.”
I Swear, which sees Robert Aramayo play Davidson, had a victorious night at the Baftas, with Aramayo, who also won the ‘Rising Star’ award, taking home the prestigious ‘Best Actor’ prize, beating the likes of Timothée Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Overall, it was the night of One Battle After Another, which won a total of six Baftas. However, Marty Supreme, which was nominated in 11 categories, failed to win a single Bafta, tying the record for the most losses in the ceremony’s history.
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