Bafta judge resigns over ‘utterly unforgivable’ racial Tourette’s incident

WorldPolitics
24 Feb 2026 • 6:56 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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  • Filmmaker Jonte Richardson has resigned as a Bafta judge, citing the academy's "utterly unforgivable" handling of a racial slur incident at its recent film awards ceremony.
  • The incident involved Tourette's campaigner John Davidson shouting a racial slur during a presentation by actors Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo.
  • Richardson stated he could not contribute to an organisation that "repeatedly failed to safeguard the dignity of its black guests, members and the black creative community" and has a "long history of systemic racism".
  • Bafta and the BBC both issued apologies for the incident, with Bafta taking "full responsibility" and the BBC apologising for not editing the slur out of the broadcast.
  • Richardson expressed scepticism about the apologies, suggesting Bafta remains "inherently unsafe for black and disabled people" and that future changes would be performative.

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