Alan Cumming says he wouldn’t host BAFTAs again after racial slur controversy
“It was bad, bad, bad, bad leadership,” Cumming said. “Bad people who weren’t doing their jobs properly, who really had not prepared and let people down"
By Callum Wells
Alan Cumming has said he would not host the BAFTA Film Awards again following the controversy that overshadowed this year’s ceremony.
The actor addressed the incident in a new interview with The Times ahead of Sunday’s BAFTA Television Awards. Cumming hosted the film awards in February, when a racial slur was broadcast during the BBC‘s delayed coverage of the event.
The moment involved Tourette’s campaigner John Davidson, whose life inspired the BAFTA-winning film I Swear.
What happened during the BAFTA Film Awards controversy?
Davidson has Tourette’s syndrome and experiences coprolalia, a neurological condition that can cause involuntary swearing and vocal tics.
During the ceremony at London’s Royal Festival Hall, Davidson shouted a racial slur while Sinners actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage presenting an award. The incident was included in the BBC broadcast despite the ceremony not airing live.
The BBC later apologised, but an internal review reportedly found the language “had no editorial justification” and breached editorial standards.
Davidson, however, later said that the BBC had edited out a homophobic slur involuntarily directed at Cumming.
Cumming said the fallout from the ceremony had ruled out any future return as host.
“It was bad, bad, bad, bad leadership” – Alan Cumming criticising BAFTA staff
“It’s a tough gig,” he told the newspaper. “You’re trying to be funny for a bunch of people who are used to very generic, middle-of-the-road things, so you’re fighting against the quirky personality they want you to bring to it. That’s a battle.”
He also criticised organisers for what he described as a lack of preparation around Davidson’s condition.
“It was bad, bad, bad, bad leadership,” Cumming said. “Bad people who weren’t doing their jobs properly, who really had not prepared and let people down.”
According to Cumming, he had only been told “there’ll be noise” during the ceremony. He said nobody warned him about the nature of Davidson’s vocal tics. Cumming added that he later learned Davidson had shouted the same slur at a party the previous evening.
John Davidson said he was “deeply mortified” by the incident
“I watched myself back. I was very smiley, I didn’t do it with the gravitas and tone I would have used had I known. That pissed me off,” he said.
After the ceremony, Cumming apologised publicly in a statement shared on Instagram. He said he was sorry to Black viewers and members of the Tourette’s community affected by the broadcast.
Davidson later said he was “deeply mortified” by the incident and stressed that the outburst was involuntary and “not a reflection of my values”.