BBC Told By UK Culture Secretary That Airing BAFTA Racial Slur Was “Unacceptable & Harmful”
The BBC is now coming under political attack for broadcasting an involuntary racial slur during the BAFTA Film Awards on Sunday.
Three days after the awards ceremony, UK culture secretary Lisa Nandy has waded in. The minister said she had raised "serious concerns" with BBC boss Tim Davie.
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In a statement, Nandy said: "I share the serious concerns raised by so many people regarding the broadcast of a racial slur during the BAFTA ceremony on Sunday evening. As the public would expect, I have raised this matter with the BBC Director General.
"I welcome the launch of a full investigation by the BBC. Broadcasting a racial slur is completely unacceptable and harmful. The BBC must ensure that this never happens again."
Nandy's intervention represents a change in position from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport. When Deadline contacted the department on Tuesday, officials said "decisions on what to broadcast, and what not to, are for the BBC." Deadline asked the DCMS what has changed in the past 24 hours.
The BBC has apologized for broadcasting Tourette syndrome campaigner John Davidson's involuntary N-word interruption when Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage. The British broadcaster has today launched a review into how the incident occurred, despite the BAFTAs being on a two-hour time delay.
Kate Phillips, the BBC's chief content officer, revealed on Tuesday that a second involuntary racial slur was edited out the ceremony.
"This one was aired in error and we would never have knowingly allowed this to be broadcast," said Phillips wrote in an internal email. "We take full responsibility for what happened. When I was made aware it was audible on iPlayer, I asked for it to be taken down. As I'm sure you're aware we put out a statement yesterday morning apologising that the remark was not edited out prior to broadcast."
The position of the BBC and Penny Lane TV, producers of the BAFTA Film Awards, was that the interruption was not heard in the outside broadcast truck, meaning it made the final cut. Davidson's verbal tic was clearly audible in the auditorium, however, and, as Deadline revealed on Tuesday , Sinners studio Warner Bros. complained to BAFTA about the incident immediately and requested it be edited out of the broadcast.
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