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Airing of Bafta racial slur breached BBC standards, corporation finds

Wed, 08 Apr 2026

Executive complaints unit finding relates to broadcast of N-word during awards ceremony

The BBC breached its editorial standards when it broadcast a “highly offensive” racial slur during the Baftas, which was “unintentional”, a review has found, and made a “serious mistake” in not removing it immediately from iPlayer.

The broadcast containing the N-word remained on BBC iPlayer overnight before coverage was taken down. It had been said by John Davidson, the Tourette syndrome campaigner, who shouted it as Delroy Lindo and Michael B Jordan, the stars of the film Sinners, were on stage presenting an award.

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