‘Bad people’: Alan Cumming criticises Bafta after N-word outburst

Alan Cumming has criticised the organisers of the Bafta film awards in February as “bad people who weren’t doing their jobs properly” after the N-word outburst by Tourette activist John Davidson, which was broadcast by the BBC during its coverage of the ceremony. In an interview with the Sunday Times, Cumming, who was the host of the ceremony, said: “It was bad, bad, bad, bad leadership … Bad people who weren’t doing their jobs properly, who really had not prepared and let people down.” Davidson, who attended the Baftas as I Swear , the film based on his life story, was nominated for a number of awards, shouted the N-word twice during the ceremony, as well as a slur aimed at Cumming. The BBC’s broadcast remained on BBC iPlayer overnight before the coverage was taken down. The BBC subsequently apologised, as did Bafta . Describing the event as a “shitshow”, Cumming said he was not fully aware of what had transpired. “I had a thing in my ear and you can’t hear very specifically what’s happening. I haven’t actually asked them, but I don’t imagine that Delroy [Lindo] and Michael B Jordan heard the actual slur either.” Cumming apologised during the ceremony, saying: “Tourette syndrome is a disability … we apologise if you are offended tonight.” He told the Sunday Times that neither he nor the audience had been warned by Bafta that Davidson might shout offensive slurs. …