BAFTAs host Alan Cumming brands ceremony ‘a s**tshow’ as he apologises | TV & Radio | Showbiz & TV
BAFTAs host Alan Cumming has labelled the 2026 ceremony a “trauma-triggering s***show”. The Traitors presenter took to the stage at the awards in London on February 22. Still, the event was mired in controversy when Tourette’s advocate John Davidson – whose life inspired the acclaimed film I Swear – involuntarily uttered the N-word whilst Sinners co-stars Delroy Lindo and Michael B Jordan were presenting an award onstage.
This incident led to an apology from BAFTA officials, and now Alan has taken to social media to express his regret. He penned: “It’s now a week since I hosted the BAFTAs. What should have been an evening celebrating creativity as well as diversity and inclusion turned into a trauma-triggering s***show. I’m so sorry for all the pain Black people have felt at hearing that word echoed round the world. I’m so sorry the Tourettes community has been reminded of the lack of understanding and tolerance that abounds regarding their condition.”
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Alan continued by saying: “The only possible good that could come of this is a reminder that words matter, that rushing to judgment about things of which we are not fully cognisant is folly, that all trauma must be recognised and honoured.”
The actor concluded his statement by admitting it was wrong for the BBC to have broadcast the moment, adding: “We were all let down by decisions made to both broadcast slurs and censor free speech.
“Congratulations to all the artists whose work was overshadowed by the night’s events.”
John, who suffers from Tourette’s, exited the ceremony early and later expressed regret for the incident, confessing he felt “deeply mortified”. The BBC issued an apology for broadcasting the moment, whilst BAFTA chiefs announced they are initiating a “comprehensive review”.
In a conversation with The Telegraph, I Swear director Kirk Jones maintained that the distressing incident should never have been included in the TV coverage, stating that his film’s subject was “let down” by those responsible.
He commented: “I think John was let down on many, many levels. And I think the fact that that [tic] went out for broadcast was perhaps one of the worst ways in which he was let down on the night.
“If you just imagine for a second that that was not broadcast, then suddenly the problem was restricted to everyone in the room. And BAFTA could write to everyone in the room, and they [could have] said: ‘We wanted to apologise again, we understand, this, that and the other.’ They could have done that the next day to all the guests, and no one would have known that it happened … You wouldn’t have the clips.”
