Bafta 'Fell Short' on Duty of Care After Racial Slur Incident, Review Finds

Bafta's Duty of Care Questioned After Awards Incident

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) has admitted shortcomings in its duty of care following an independent review into an incident at its February film awards. During the ceremony, Tourette's campaigner John Davidson involuntarily shouted a racial slur while Black actors Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting an award.

Bafta stated it did not "adequately anticipate or fully prepare for the impact of such an incident in a live event environment," which resulted in a failure of its duty of care to those present and watching at home. The organisation has issued direct apologies to those affected and to the wider Black and disabled communities.

Review Highlights Structural Weaknesses

The independent review, conducted by Rise Associates, identified "structural weaknesses in Bafta's planning, escalation procedures and crisis coordination arrangements." However, it found no evidence of malicious intent from those involved in delivering the event. Bafta has accepted these conclusions in full.

While the review highlighted a complex intersection of disability, live broadcast risk, and the use of historically painful language, it cautioned against describing the event as evidence of institutional racism. Instead, it suggested Bafta's planning and risk governance systems had not kept pace with its diversity and inclusion goals.

Bafta has committed to implementing several improvements, including enhanced risk management for live events, clearer escalation and communication procedures, and strengthened duty of care protocols for all participants. The organisation aims to better balance accessibility with the safety and dignity of all involved.