An independent review commissioned by Bafta over the handling and broadcast of a racial slur by Tourette’s campaigner John Davidson during the Bafta Film Awards has found “a number of structural weaknesses in Bafta’s planning, escalation procedures and crisis coordination arrangements” but did not find “malicious intent on the part of those involved in delivering the event”.
The review, conducted by Rise Associates, stated that “it would be wrong to describe the event as evidence of institutional racism, as this misses an important point. Institutional racism means that racial bias is built into systems, policies, and culture. In such systems, discriminatory outcomes appear regardless of individual intent.
”The available evidence does not support that conclusion here. Instead, the evidence suggests something different. Bafta’s planning and risk governance systems have not kept pace with its diversity goals.”
Bafta has said of the review: “We accept its conclusions in full.”
Read the review’s conclusion in full below
A statement from the Bafta board of trustees published today (April 10) wrote: “We apologise unreservedly to the Black community, for whom the racist language used carries real pain, brutality, and trauma; to the disability community, including people with Tourette Syndrome, for whom this incident has led to unfair judgement, stigma, and distress; and to all our members, guests at the ceremony and those watching at home. What was supposed to be a moment of celebration was diminished and overshadowed. We have written to those directly impacted on the night to apologise.
“The review is clear that while this was not a failure of intent, Bafta’s planning and processes have not kept pace with its diversity and inclusion goals. We did not adequately anticipate or fully prepare for the impact of such an incident in a live event environment and as a result, our duty of care to everyone at the ceremony and watching at home fell short.”
Bafta has confirmed that “Work is already underway to address the specific areas of improvement recommended in the review to reduce the risk of this happening again.”
These steps are as follows:
- Improving escalation processes and the chain of information sharing around awards ceremonies.
- Strengthening how to plan for and deliver access, inclusion and support at Bafta events to adopt a broader intersectional approach so that the needs and experiences of all are properly considered in advance.
- Addressing any internal cultural gaps or lack of knowledge that may prevent Bafta from meeting its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion across all our work.
- The executive team reporting regularly on progress against all actions to the board of trustees.
Earlier this week, the BBC’s Editorial Complaints Unit (ECU) ruled that the broadcast of the involuntary slur from Davidson while stars of Bafta winner Sinners Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting an award breached the BBC’s editorial standards on harm and offence, but that it was “not intentional”. Davidson lives with Tourette’s and is the subject of Bafta-winning film I Swear.
Conclusion of independent review by RISE Associates
This review was commissioned following an incident during the 2026 ceremony that caused understandable distress to attendees, viewers and staff. The circumstances involved a complex intersection of disability, live broadcast risk and the use of language with a profound and painful historical context.
It is therefore important to recognise both the sensitivity of the situation and the genuine impact it had on those who experienced it. The review did not find evidence of malicious intent on the part of those involved in delivering the event. However, it did identify a number of structural weaknesses in BAFTA’s planning, escalation procedures and crisis coordination arrangements. In particular, the organisation did not fully appreciate the nature of the risk associated with a live broadcast appearance, early warning signs were not escalated, and the absence of a clear operational command structure limited BAFTA’s ability to respond effectively once the incident occurred.
The incident also highlighted a broader challenge for organisations seeking to deliver inclusive public events: the need to balance accessibility for participants with the safety and dignity of others in the room and watching at home. Inclusion planning must therefore consider not only the needs of an individual participant but also the wider context in which participation takes place.
The recommendations set out in this report are designed to address these issues in practical and proportionate ways. They focus on strengthening briefing processes, improving escalation and communication structures, clarifying operational leadership during live events and supporting the organisation’s recovery following the incident.
BAFTA remains a respected institution with a strong commitment to inclusion and to the global creative community. We acknowledge the wide-ranging reforms that have been introduced to improve diversity, inclusion and representation. But these reforms do not shield BAFTA from criticism. No institution sits above scrutiny. The nature of this incident justifies careful review.
However, it would be wrong to describe the event as evidence of institutional racism, as this misses an important point. Institutional racism means that racial bias is built into systems, policies, and culture. In such systems, discriminatory outcomes appear regardless of individual intent. The available evidence does not support that conclusion here. Instead, the evidence suggests something different. BAFTA’s planning and risk governance systems have not kept pace with its diversity goals.
The issues identified in this review are therefore best understood not as a failure of intent, but as evidence that existing systems were not sufficiently robust for the complexity of a modern live broadcast environment. With clearer structures, stronger communication practices and more comprehensive planning, similar risks can be significantly reduced in future.
The ultimate test of this review will not be the report itself but the extent to which its recommendations are implemented in practice. If they are adopted in full, BAFTA will be better equipped to deliver inclusive, high-profile live events while protecting the well-being of participants, presenters, staff and audiences alike.
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