John Davidson, who lives with Tourette’s and is the subject of Outstanding British Film nominee “I Swear,” could be heard shouting slurs and curses.
The 2026 BAFTA Awards delivered its usual mix of glamour and celebration — but an unexpected moment from the audience quickly drew attention both inside the venue and among viewers watching at home.
The colorful language came from John Davidson, a celebrated advocate for those like himself living with Tourette syndrome, who attended the ceremony as the subject of the nominated film I Swear.
Cumming explained, “This can be part of how Tourette’s syndrome shows up for some people as the film explores that experience,” and thanked the audience “for your understanding and helping create a respectful space for everyone.”
Davidson could be heard shouting up toward presenters as early as the introductory speech from BAFTAs chair Sara Putt. The Scottish campaigner allegedly yelled “shut the f— up” during Putt’s speech and shouted the n-word when Sinners stars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo presented the Best Visual Effects award to Avatar: Fire and Ash.
Cumming followed up later with another statement, explaining that “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 apologize if you are offended tonight.”
Davidson’s tics were among the potential sources of concern for broadcaster BBC leading up to the ceremony, Deadline Hollywood reported Thursday. The network does not air the BAFTAs live, but edits and condenses the three-hour show into a two-hour program to be broadcast later. Last year, the BBC cut a Trump joke from host David Tennant and was reportedly vigilant this year in the wake of comments concerning Israel during a Glastonbury performance from musician Bob Vylan.
Davidson became a national figure at only 16, when the BBC released a TV documentary called John’s Not Mad, which chronicled his coming to grips with his Tourette syndrome diagnosis. He has since featured in numerous follow-up film and TV documentaries and was awarded with the distinction of MBE in 2019 for his activism.
Davidson was not personally nominated at the BAFTAs, but the actor who played him in I Swear, Robert Aramayo, staged a shocking upset when he was announced as the winner in the Best Actor category, defeating the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Timothée Chalamet.
