Delroy Lindo Says BAFTA Did Not Reach Out After Racial Slur Was Shouted During Onstage Presentation

Delroy Lindo has said he wishes someone from BAFTA had contacted him and Michael B. Jordan after a racial slur was shouted from the audience while the two actors were presenting at the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards.

Lindo and Jordan were onstage to present the award for Best Visual Effects to Avatar: Fire and Ash when the N-word was audibly yelled from the auditorium. Speaking to Vanity Fair at one of the ceremony’s afterparties, Lindo said he and Jordan handled the situation in the moment and continued with the presentation, but he was struck by the absence of follow-up communication from the awards body afterward.

“We did what we had to do,” Lindo said, adding that he would have expected someone from BAFTA to speak with them once the ceremony concluded.

The outburst came from John Davidson, who has Tourette syndrome and attended the ceremony as the subject of the nominated biographical film I Swear. Tourette syndrome can include involuntary vocal tics, and throughout the evening, several expletives were heard from the audience during speeches and award presentations. Robert Aramayo won Best Actor for portraying Davidson in the film.

During the ceremony, host Alan Cumming addressed the audience after multiple interruptions, explaining that Tourette syndrome can manifest through involuntary verbalizations. He thanked attendees for their understanding and later reiterated that the language heard during the broadcast was not intentional. Cumming emphasized that the condition is a disability and that the person experiencing the tics does not have control over them.

According to reporting following the event, floor managers informed some guests seated near Davidson about his condition, though it is unclear how much detail was provided. Multiple sources indicated that presenters and nominees were not contacted in advance with warnings about the possibility of disruptive language.

The incident generated further controversy when the BBC’s tape-delayed broadcast later aired with the slur still audible. The broadcaster subsequently apologized, stating that the offensive language should have been edited out before transmission. The version of the ceremony available on BBC iPlayer was later updated to remove the slur. In a statement, the BBC said it regretted that the language had not been removed prior to airing and acknowledged that some viewers may have been offended.

The episode has prompted wider discussion about how live award ceremonies handle unexpected disruptions, particularly when they involve language that carries deep historical and racial harm. While the involuntary nature of Tourette-related vocal tics is medically recognized, the impact of certain words, especially when heard during a globally televised event, remains significant.

Lindo’s remarks focus less on the public explanation and more on what he describes as a lack of private outreach. As a veteran actor with decades of experience in film and television, Lindo did not criticize how he and Jordan managed the moment onstage. Instead, he questioned why there was no direct acknowledgment from BAFTA to the presenters most immediately affected.

Neither BAFTA nor Jordan has issued additional public comment beyond the statements made during the ceremony. The organization has not addressed Lindo’s comments specifically.