‘Of Course We Were Offended’: Hannah Beachler Speaks Out After BAFTA N-Word Incident

The 2026 BAFTA Film Awards were meant to be a night of celebration. Instead, the ceremony sparked debate after an on-stage apology from host Alan Cumming drew criticism from Oscar-winning production designer Hannah Beachler.

The controversy began when Tourette’s campaigner John Davidson, who was seated in the audience, shouted the N-word during the ceremony. The outburst occurred while Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting the award for Best Visual Effects to Avatar: Fire and Ash. The language, though not clearly audible in the hall, was picked up in the BBC’s live broadcast.

Cumming paused the ceremony twice to acknowledge the interruptions. Later in the show, he addressed the audience, saying they “may have noticed” some “strong language,” and apologized if “anyone was offended.”

Beachler, who worked on the hit film Sinners, later revealed that she was personally targeted by one of the involuntary slurs after the show. In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), she described the situation as “almost impossible” but said the apology made things worse.

“Of course we were offended,” Beachler wrote. “What made the situation worse was the throw-away apology of ‘if you were offended’ at the end of the show.”

She added that the slurs were directed at her and at another Black woman during the evening. While acknowledging that Tourette’s syndrome can involve involuntary vocal tics, Beachler said the impact of the words should not be dismissed.

The BBC later issued a statement apologizing for broadcasting “strong and offensive language.” A spokesperson explained that the outbursts were linked to Tourette’s syndrome and were not intentional.

Davidson, the campaigner involved, is known for his advocacy work. In 2018, he received an honor from Queen Elizabeth II for helping raise awareness about Tourette’s syndrome. His life is also the subject of an upcoming biopic, I Swear.

The incident has sparked a broader debate online about how live events handle unexpected disruptions — especially when offensive language is involved. Some have questioned whether better contingency plans should have been in place or whether the broadcast could have been edited more effectively.

The controversy unfolded on what was otherwise a historic night for Sinners. The film, directed by Ryan Coogler, won three awards at the ceremony held at London’s Royal Festival Hall. The victories marked a milestone, making it the most decorated film by a Black director in BAFTA history.

What was meant to be a celebration of achievement has now become part of a larger conversation — one about accountability, disability awareness, race, and the complexities of responding in real time to an “impossible situation.”