John Davidson Reportedly Used N-Word at BAFTA Ceremony Several Times, To a Different Celeb
The BBC has for the first time outlined its version of the events that led to the controversial BAFTA broadcast, confirming that John Davidson shouted the N-word not just once, but twice during the ceremony.
The second instance targeted Sinners star Wunmi Mosaku, who won Best Supporting Actress. The BBC confirmed that this second occurrence was edited out of the broadcast.
Director General Tim Davie sent a detailed letter to the UK’s Culture, Media & Sport Committee explaining the incident, which initially saw the racial slur aired during the live show when Davidson first shouted it at stars Delroy Lindo and Michael B. Jordan. That initial clip remained on BBC iPlayer for 15 hours after the ceremony ended.
Davie explained that the live editing team in the broadcast truck mistakenly thought they had removed the incident. “Our understanding at this point is that the team editing the show in the truck mistakenly believed they had edited out the incident that was being referenced, on the basis that they had heard and edited out the slur shouted out during the Best Supporting Actress award,” he wrote.
He added that the on-site team did not believe the slur was audible on the broadcast and only removed it after the Chief Content Officer authorized it the following morning. “We are now looking in more detail why the team did not ascertain sooner that there had been two instances of the use of the racial slur, and why post broadcast further action was not taken to edit or remove the programme from iPlayer sooner,” Davie said.
The BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit is now investigating the issue further and will report on its findings. Davie noted that lessons from previous incidents, such as the Glastonbury Bob Vylan controversy, were meant to improve editorial compliance on-site, yet the slur still remained online for an extended period.
Meanwhile, BBC Chief Content Officer Kate Phillips addressed staff in an internal note seen by Deadline. She said the incident had caused “much upset and hurt” and confirmed she had been in regular contact with BAFTA. Phillips will hold listening sessions with BBC diversity networks, including BBC Ability, BBC Enigma, and BBC Embrace.
“I’m so very sorry that this has happened. It goes without saying that we treat all complaints with the utmost seriousness, and of course we will be reviewing our own internal processes,” she wrote.
The debacle has also drawn criticism from outside the BBC. Earlier reports indicated that Warner Bros. executives expressed frustration over the handling of the broadcast during a tense meeting with the network.
This incident highlights how the BBC struggled to manage both the live broadcast and post-show digital content, particularly with sensitive material. The second N-word incident involving Wunmi Mosaku, while edited out on-air, underscores the challenges the network faces in monitoring live events in real time.
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