Cumming Calls BAFTAs a Trauma Triggering S**tshow

BAFTAs host Alan Cumming has spoken out on the ceremony's racial slur controversy, stating that 'we were all let down.'

As Sinners actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo  during the February 22 BAFTA ceremony, a man with Tourette's Syndrome - John Davidson, whose life is chronicled in the film I Swear - was heard saying a racial slur as a result of a tic. 

The slur was left in for the televised edit of the show, which was broadcast on the BBC two hours later. 

Host Alan apologised during the ceremony, telling the audience at London's Royal Festival Hall he was sorry if the slur 'caused offence'.

He has now addressed the incident in a lengthy statement on Instagram, calling the night a 'trauma triggering sh*tshow'.

'It’s now been a week since I hosted the BAFTAs. What should have been an evening celebrating creativity as well as diversity and inclusion turned into a trauma triggering sh*tshow,' the Scottish star wrote.

'I’m so sorry for all the pain Black people have felt at hearing that word echoed round the world. I’m so sorry the Tourettes community has been reminded of the lack of understanding and tolerance that abounds regarding their condition.'

'The only possible good that could come of this is a reminder that words matter, that rushing to judgment about things of which we are not fully cognisant is folly, that all trauma must be recognised and honoured.'

The presenter ended his statement by referring to the 's decision to edit out 'Free Palestine' from an acceptance speech made by filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr after My Father's Shadow won the  for outstanding British debut.

Cumming stated: 'We were all let down by decisions made to both broadcast slurs and censor free speech. Congratulations to all the artists whose work was overshadowed by the night’s events.'

During the ceremony the BAFTAs host addressed the shouts from Davidson which could be heard throughout the ceremony explaining 'Tourette’s syndrome is a disability, and the tics you have heard tonight are involuntary, which means the person who has Tourette’s syndrome has no control over their language.'

The BBC has apologised for the incident and its Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) has

The Culture, Media and Sport Committee (CMS) has also written to outgoing BBC director-general Tim Davie 'seeking an explanation' for how a racial slur ended up in the broadcast despite a two-hour time delay.

Referencing Glastonbury Festival coverage, chairwoman of the CMS Committee Dame Caroline Dinenage said the 'latest incident raises questions about the extent to which lessons have been learned and about the controls and systems you have in place to prevent such incidents'.

Scottish campaigner Davidson was at the Baftas representing the film I Swear, which tells the story of his life with the condition, which he developed when he was 12.

He has described feeling 'mortified' by what happened and in an interview with Variety, and said the BBC should have 'worked harder' to ensure his racial slur was not broadcast.

Davidson told Variety that BAFTA had indicated any swearing would be edited out of the broadcast and questioned why he had been seated near a microphone, saying: 'I have made four documentaries with the BBC in the past, and feel that they should have been aware of what to expect from Tourette's and worked harder to prevent anything that I said … from being included in the broadcast.'

He also revealed he shouted multiple offensive words during the ceremony, not just the racial slur, including an insult directed at Cumming.

Meanwhile actor Delroy Lindo broke his silence on the incident as he said he .

He told the audience: 'We appreciate – I appreciate – all of the support and love we have been shown in the aftermath of what happened last weekend, it means a lot to us.'

'It is an honour to be here amongst our people this evening, amongst so many people who have shown us such incredible support.'

'And it's a classic case of something that could've been very negative becoming very positive. Thank you so much for the support.'

Saturday Night Live after a sketch released online depicted celebrities attributing past controversies to Tourette syndrome.

Almost immediately, critics branded the tone-deaf joke 'disgusting' and 'shameful' in the wake of last week's slur controversy.

The segment, which did not air during NBC's live broadcast due to time constraints but was later uploaded online, featured cast members portraying public figures including , , J. K. Rowling and . 

In the polarizing sketch, the characters claim to have Tourette syndrome as an explanation for their past scandals.

The mock public service announcement concludes by stating it was 'brought to you by National Workforce of Rethinking Disabilities, or N.W.O.R.D.'

In a statement to Variety, Emma McNally, CEO of Tourette's Action, said: 'Mocking a disability is never acceptable. It would not be tolerated for any other condition, and it should not be tolerated by people with Tourette's.' 

She continued: 'Tourette's is a complex neurological condition, of which there is no cure. It is not a joke. It is not a personality trait. It is not a source of entertainment. It is a condition that can be extremely debilitating, causing pain isolation and huge amounts of discrimination.' 

Piers Morgan weighed in on X, writing: 'Hollywood continuing to mock John Davidson over his Tourette’s condition is one of the most despicable things I’ve witnessed in a long time.' 

Other reactions were similarly pointed. 

British journalist Lewis Goodall called it 'genuinely shameful,' writing: 'The joke is basically nothing more sophisticated than 'people with serious disabilities make it up.'

One user wrote, 'This is genuinely actually one of the most disgusting things I've ever seen. A disabled man mocked on prime time American TV, insinuating that Tourette's actually is voluntary.' 

Another added: 'Look forward to seeing a skit implying people in wheelchairs are just pretending they can't walk, next week on SNL. What a horrendous skit.'