Arabic version: بي بي سي تعترف بخطأ في بث إهانة عنصرية خلال جوائز بافتا

The BBC’s executive complaints unit (ECU) has upheld complaints regarding the broadcast of a racial slur during the Bafta Film Awards. The incident occurred when a Tourette’s campaigner involuntarily shouted the slur while actors Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting an award in February. This unedited shout was aired on BBC One, which had a two-hour delay, and the ceremony remained available for streaming on iPlayer until the morning after.

According to BBC News, the ECU found that the inclusion of the n-word constituted a breach of the BBC’s editorial standards. Chief content officer Kate Phillips stated that this incident should not have made it to air, although it was determined that the breach was not intentional. The ECU received a large number of complaints about the Baftas coverage, specifically regarding harm and offense.

Phillips explained that the production team did not hear the n-word at the time it was said, leading to no decision being made to edit it out. The ECU’s findings emphasized that the inclusion of the offensive language had no editorial justification and represented a serious mistake. Additionally, the report criticized the decision to keep the unedited broadcast available on iPlayer, stating that this exacerbated the offense caused.

The BBC has acknowledged the need for improvement in its processes following this incident. Phillips indicated that measures would be taken to enhance pre-event planning, live event production, and the protocols for removing content from iPlayer. The backlash from the Baftas coverage prompted significant public outcry, with Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy labeling the broadcast as “completely unacceptable and harmful.”

The situation has also drawn criticism from various figures, including Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, who described it as a “horrible mistake.” Tourette’s campaigner John Davidson expressed that the BBC should have taken greater precautions to prevent the incident from occurring, questioning the decision to seat him near a microphone. Bafta ceremony host Alan Cumming later apologized, acknowledging the distress caused by the broadcast.