A British filmmaker has announced he will resign as a Bafta judge over the organisation’s handling of the incident surrounding a racial slur being yelled at two black actors by a Tourette Syndrome campaigner.
Jonte Richardson said Bafta had "repeatedly failed to safeguard the dignity of its Black guests, members and the Black creative community".
Delroy Lindo and Michael B Jordan, stars of the hit horror film Sinners, were presenting the award for special visual effects when John Davidson shouted the N-word from the stalls.
The audience at the Royal Festival Hall had been briefed before the ceremony began that Mr Davidson, whose story was adapted into the acclaimed film I Swear, was in the audience and might shout inappropriate language.
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Now, Mr Richardson said he decided to step down from his position at a judge at the organisation, saying he had gone through "a lot of soul searching" in making the decision.
He wrote on his LinkedIn profile: "The organisation's handling of the unfortunate Tourette's N-Word incident last night at the awards was utterly unforgivable.
"I cannot and will not contribute my time energy and expertise to an organisation that has repeatedly failed to safeguard the dignity of its Black guests, members and the Black creative community.
"This is particularly unfortunate given that this year's cohort boasts some incredible Black talent, especially one of my favourite shows of 2025 'Just Act Normal'."
Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting the award when the incident took place
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He continued: "However, when an organisation like Bafta, with its own long history of systemic racism, refuses to acknowledge the harm inflicted on both the Black and disabled communities and offer an appropriate apology, remaining involved would be tantamount to condoning its behaviour."
Mr Richardson, who is an advocate of diverse voices in the industry, is a director, writer, producer and editor.
He worked in both the UK and the US on projects including Channel 4’s Bluefinch and award-winning productions for BET and HBO.
In a statement to reporters, Mr Davidson said he chose to leave the auditorium early as he was "aware of the distress my tics were causing."
John Davidson, a prominent Tourette syndrome campaigner, shouted the N-word involuntarily from the audience during Sunday evening's ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall | GETTYLATEST DEVELOPMENTS
The BBC apologised for not editing the racial slur out of the broadcast and a spokesman for the corporation said: "Some viewers may have heard strong and offensive language during the Bafta Film Awards.
"This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette syndrome, and as explained during the ceremony it was not intentional.
"We apologise that this was not edited out prior to broadcast and it will now be removed from the version on BBC iPlayer."
Mr Richardson addressed the response by Bafta and the BBC, saying: "The Bafta apology is considerably better than the BBC mumbled sidestepping.
"But the fact that it took 24 hours and intense backlash to get here suggests that despite its claims, Bafta remains inherently unsafe for black and disabled people.
"I can almost guarantee the same production company and the same execs will still be in charge of next year’s awards.
"So claiming to 'learn from this' will inevitably be as performative as their desire for inclusion."
Robert Aramayo won Best Actor for his portrayal of John Davidson in I Swear
| GETTYConservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said the BBC had made "a horrible mistake" by not editing the word out at the time, adding: "I think an apology is important, they need to explain why it wasn't bleeped out."
The BBC also came under fire for editing a section of the speech from My Father’s Shadow director Akinola Davies Jr.
Mr Davies Jr expressed solidarity to "those under occupation, dictatorship, persecution and those experiencing genocide."
He continued: "To those watching at home, archive your loved ones, archive your stories yesterday, today and forever. For Nigeria, for London, Congo, Sudan, Free Palestine."
The BBC also came under fire for editing a section of the speech from My Father’s Shadow director Akinola Davies Jr
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Dawn Butler, the Labour MP for Brent East, said: "I understand that the BBC has since edited the iPlayer version to remove the racist slur.
"I would appreciate a written explanation as to why this was not addressed before the delayed broadcast, who was in the editing room, who made the overall decision and why Mr Davies Jr's remarks were deemed unsuitable while the racist slur was initially left in."
A BBC spokesman told Deadline: "The same happened to other speeches made during the night and all edits were made to ensure the programme was delivered to time.
"All winners' speeches will be available to watch via Bafta's YouTube channel."