Understanding Tourette Syndrome Following BAFTA Incident

This week, Tourette syndrome (TS) gained widespread attention after a racial slur was broadcast during Sunday night’s BAFTA Film Awards ceremony. The outburst came from John Davidson, a Tourette syndrome campaigner and the subject of the film I Swear, as actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo presented an award.

What is Tourette Syndrome?

Tourette syndrome is a neurological condition characterized by involuntary, repetitive movements or sounds known as tics [1]. These tics can vary in type and severity.

How Common is Tourette Syndrome?

According to Tourette’s Action, a UK-based support and research charity, TS affects one in every 100 schoolchildren and more than 300,000 children and adults in the UK [1]. Accurate statistics for the Republic of Ireland are currently unavailable.

Types of Tics

Tourette’s Action categorizes tics into motor tics and vocal tics, further divided into simple and complex forms [1].

• Simple Motor Tics: Eye blinking, eye rolling, shoulder shrugging, limb and head jerking.
• Simple Vocal Tics: Whistling, coughing, grunting.
• Complex Motor Tics: Jumping, twirling, touching people, or obscene gestures.
• Complex Vocal Tics: Uttering words or phrases out of context, saying socially unacceptable words, or repeating phrases.

Can People Control Their Tics?

While tics are involuntary, many individuals with Tourette’s can suppress them for a short period. Tourette’s Action uses the analogy of blinking: it’s possible to delay blinking for a time, but eventually, the urge becomes too strong to resist [1].

Does Everyone with TS Swear or Make Inappropriate Gestures?

A common misconception is that all individuals with Tourette’s experience coprolalia – the involuntary utterance of obscene or offensive language. According to Tourette’s Action, between 10 and 30 percent of people with TS have this symptom [1].

Are These Utterances Reflective of a Person’s Beliefs?

The charity emphasizes that these involuntary utterances are not a reflection of a person’s beliefs, intentions, or character. They are neurological symptoms, not intentional expressions, and can cause significant distress to the individual [1].

Other Symptoms of Tourette Syndrome

Up to 85 percent of people with TS experience co-occurring conditions, including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anger/rages, and anxiety [1].

The BAFTA Incident and John Davidson’s Response

Following the incident at the BAFTA awards, John Davidson expressed feeling “deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning” [2]. He has since reached out to apologize directly to those affected, including Michael B. Jordan, Delroy Lindo, and production designer Hannah Beachler [1]. The BBC faced criticism for leaving a version of the ceremony with the slur audible on its iPlayer platform for 15 hours before removing it [3].