According to the BBC, a racist heckling during the British film awards ceremony (Bafta) can be explained by Tourette’s syndrome.
On Sunday night’s broadcast, someone could be heard shouting the N-word as black actors Delroy Lindo and Michael B. Jordan were on stage. The excerpt was shared numerous times on the Internet.
Delroy Lindo at the Bafta Awards.Image: keystone
The “N-word” describes a previously used racist term for black people. Some viewers may have heard vulgar and offensive expressions, the BBC told the PA news agency. This was caused by “involuntary verbal tics” related to Tourette syndrome “and was not intentional.” The broadcaster apologized for any insults.
Drama “I Swear” is about Tourette activist Davidson
The neurological disease leads to tics in which people make unwanted movements and sometimes make sounds or words. The British drama “I Swear” played a big role at the film awards. Robert Aramayo won Best Actor. In “I Swear” he embodies the Scottish Tourette activist John Davidson, who was sitting in the audience.
According to Variety magazine, other offensive comments were also heard in the first half of the awards ceremony. Host Alan Cumming thanked the audience for their understanding during the show and explained the background of Tourette’s syndrome. (dab/sda/dpa)