Bafta judge quits over ‘utterly unforgivable’ handling of Tourette N-word incident

February 24, 2026

TL;DR

Jonte Richardson, a Black British film-maker, has resigned from his role as a Bafta judge.
His resignation is due to Bafta's handling of an incident where a Tourette syndrome campaigner shouted the N-word during the awards ceremony.
The slur was directed towards Black actors Delroy Lindo and Michael B Jordan.
Richardson cited Bafta's failure to safeguard the dignity of its Black guests and members as his reason for stepping down.
Criticism has also been directed at the BBC for not editing out the slur from the televised broadcast, despite a two-hour delay.
The BBC attributed the oversight to their team working remotely and "failing to hear" the word, though they later issued an apology and uploaded an edited version.
Labour MP Dawn Butler and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch have also criticized the handling of the incident, with Butler questioning why other outbursts were edited but the slur was not.
The New Black Film Collective called the BBC's failure a "disgrace" and Bafta's apology "inadequate."
Ceremony host Alan Cumming acknowledged the Tourette's tics, but many felt his apology was insufficient.
Bafta issued an apology, taking "full responsibility" and promising to learn from the event.
The Tourette syndrome campaigner, John Davidson, also issued a statement expressing mortification if his tics caused distress and stated he left the auditorium early due to the distress it was causing.

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