BAFTA is moving to correct the record on two fronts after John Davidson’s Tourette’s-related outburst — including the technical question of whether a microphone near his seat may have made the moment more audible — while the BBC faces growing scrutiny over how a racial slur remained in its tape-delayed BAFTA broadcast and on iPlayer.
BAFTA officials tell Variety they reviewed Davidson’s remarks in his recent interview, in which he said: “As I reflect on the auditorium, I remember there was a microphone just in front of me, and with hindsight I have to question whether this was wise, so close to where I was seated, knowing I would tic.”
After examining the claim, BAFTA has said it has assured StudioCanal that the microphone “wasn’t amplifying sound in the room or the broadcast.” The organization said it was “an analyzer mic that monitors the loudness in the room for EQ purposes.”
The BAFTA update comes amid broader controversy over the BBC’s handling of the moment in its broadcast. The ceremony was tape-delayed and edited for a two-hour BBC One telecast, yet the N-word — said during the presentation by “Sinners” stars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo — still aired and remained available on iPlayer for hours before the BBC pulled the program and apologized.
Variety has confirmed a report by Deadline that BAFTA raised concerns with the BBC about the issue, as questions swirled over editorial safeguards in the delayed telecast and why the segment was not removed before streaming became available.
International coverage of the fallout has also cited Davidson’s comments to Variety, emphasizing that the language was an involuntary neurological tic rather than an act of intent or belief. The BBC later described the failure to edit the moment as a “serious mistake” and ordered a fast-tracked internal investigation.
For BAFTA, the microphone clarification appears aimed at tamping down a specific theory: that equipment near Davidson functioned as a live pickup that boosted what viewers heard. Bigger questions about broadcast and editorial oversight, duty of care and live-event risk management remain.
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