Key Takeaways
- A racial slur was heard during Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo’s presentation at the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards despite a reported broadcast delay.
- Warner Bros. executives reportedly raised concerns immediately and requested the moment be removed from the BBC broadcast.
- The BBC and BAFTA issued apologies, but conflicting accounts have raised questions about how the incident was handled in real time.
The racial slur shouted while Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting at the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards could have been completely prevented from making it into the final broadcast. Not only did the BBC have a full two-hour delay to catch it, but according to Variety, Warner Bros. execs reportedly asked that the incident be removed from the broadcast completely.
On Tuesday (Feb. 24) morning, the outlet cited a “well-positioned source” who said “execs from the studio immediately raised the issue with BAFTA.” For whatever reason, their concerns were seemingly unheard. Variety also noted that Warner Bros. had been in touch with the organization “throughout Sunday evening and met with them on Monday,” and were assured the request had been passed along.
Questions arise over the BBC’s version of events
That being said, the source’s account conflicts with the version of events previously outlined by the BBC and Penny Lane, who said producers were unaware of the slur until after the broadcast. For context, Tourette’s campaigner John Davidson uttered the N-word. Though it’s not immediately clear what he said on first listen, several viewers quickly pointed it out on social media
In its apology, the BBC emphasized that the “offensive language” was due to Davidson’s “involuntary verbal tics.” The network explained, “It was not intentional. We apologize that this was not edited out prior to broadcast, and it will now be removed from the version on BBC iPlayer.” However, that also raised another big question: if audio from an audience member was clear enough for viewers to hear, why didn’t producers notice — and remove — it earlier?
BAFTA’s apology to Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo
On Monday (Feb. 23), BAFTA released a lengthy statement addressing the incident and apologizing to Jordan and Lindo. The organization acknowledged the “very offensive language” and said measures had been taken “to make those in attendance aware” of Davidson’s tics.
“Early in the ceremony, a loud tic in the form of a profoundly offensive term was heard by many people in the room. Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage at the time, and we apologize unreservedly to them, and to all those impacted,” the letter read. It later thanked the Sinners actors for “their incredible dignity and professionalism.”
BAFTA’s statement concluded, “We take full responsibility for putting our guests in a very difficult situation and we apologise to all. We will learn from this, and keep inclusion at the core of all we do, maintaining our belief in film and storytelling as a critical conduit for compassion and empathy.”