There’s a moment in I Swear, the biopic based on the life of Scotsman John Davidson, where an empathetic community centre worker tells him: “I don’t think Tourette’s is the problem. People not knowing about Tourette’s is the problem. Educate them.”

The comment takes on fresh significance amid the controversy that has erupted over the Tourette syndrome advocate’s unintentional outburst at this week’s BAFTAs.

Davidson, who was attending the event because I Swear was nominated for several awards, shouted out a racial slur while Sinners stars Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo presented the award for special visual effects.

Presenter Alan Cumming apologised during the broadcast, explaining that the “strong and offensive language” was involuntary and the result of Tourette syndrome, while the BBC and BAFTAs organisers later issued further apologies. Nonetheless, the backlash has been swift and strong.

Davidson, who also made several other outbursts during the ceremony, said he was “deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning”.

“I have spent my life trying to support and empower the Tourette’s community and to teach empathy, kindness and understanding from others and I will continue to do so,” he said in a statement.

“I chose to leave the auditorium early into the ceremony as I was aware of the distress my tics were causing.”

According to the Tourette Syndrome Association of Australia, Tourette’s is a type of tic disorder – a group of neurological conditions that can involve involuntary repetitive movements and vocalisations called “tics”.

It states that the variety and complexity of tics or tic-like symptoms is “enormous”, but include movements such as eye blinking, head jerking and shoulder shrugging, as well as vocalisations ranging from barking noises and grunting to “the involuntary utterance of inappropriate or obscene words”. Tics typically increase in times of stress or tension.

In Australia, about 50,000 adults and children are estimated to have a lifelong tic-related condition.

A 2025 study led by the Kids Research Institute Australia and UNSW Sydney found many were driven to despair by “bullying, discrimination, lack of understanding and the exhaustion of living with their condition”, and concluded that there was a lack of significant  support and treatment in this country.

In Britain, more than 300,000 people live with Tourette syndrome.

Davidson, who is originally from the small town of Galashiels in the Scottish Borders, started exhibiting symptoms as a teenager in the 1980s, when the condition was little-known or understood.

At just 16, he was the subject of a 1989 BBC documentary titled John’s Not Mad, which explored his life and how those around him responded to his condition.

“Tourette’s is such an awful condition that most of the time I don’t want to be the centre of attention,” a young John said in the documentary.

“I want to be able to walk down the street and not be noticed because I’m shouting or swearing.”

Teenage John, as he appeared on the DVD cover of John’s Not Mad.

Yet Davidson, now in his 50s, has become a centre of attention as a campaigner and advocate for people with Tourette syndrome. In 2019, he was awarded an MBE for his work educating the UK about the condition – in fact, I Swear opens with his outburst at that award ceremony, where he yelled “F—k the Queen” while receiving the honour

The biopic, which saw actor Robert Aramayo win a best leading actor award at the BAFTAs and will open in Australian cinemas in March, follows Davidson’s journey with Tourette’s during his teens and early adulthood.

“It’s called Tourette’s syndrome – I say things I shouldn’t,” the Davidson in the film explains to a friend.

He is bullied at school, struggles with family conflict and social situations, gets punched in a Scottish nightclub, and unintentionally blurts out several inappropriate sexual comments during a job interview. Yet amid all his struggles, Davidson does find allies and, ultimately, a form of self-acceptance.

I Swear earned positive reviews in the UK, where The Guardian critic described it as “a terrifically warm, generous film”. An English researcher with a particular interest in Tourette syndrome, Melina Malli, also praised its portrayal of Davidson and his condition, including the way it uses humour to deepen empathy.

“The film resists a simple, linear trajectory towards redemption and refuses to resolve into a straightforward tale of triumph,” Malli wrote in The Conversation.

“Instead, it foregrounds Davidson’s ongoing struggles, rooted not only in the tics themselves, which are painful, agonising and exhausting – but also in the ignorance and stigma that surround the condition.”

Malli also noted that despite its opening scene, I Swear stresses that involuntary swearing (known as coprolalia)  affects only a small minority of people with Tourette’s, even though it gets the most media attention.

An announcement was broadcast to the audience at the BAFTA ceremony before it began, explaining that Davidson was attending and warning that his tics were involuntary and not a reflection of his beliefs.

‘I was heartened by the round of applause that followed this announcement and felt welcomed and understood in an environment that would normally be impossible for me,” he said in his statement later.

Much of the anger since the awards has been directed at the BBC for not editing out his outburst and for the belated nature of its apology to Jordan and Lindo. But some have also turned on Davidson, including actor actor Jamie Foxx.

“Out of all the words you could’ve said Tourette’s makes you say that,” Foxx wrote in a social media comment. “Nah he meant that s–t.”

The comment provoked a slew of responses attacking his lack of understanding of the syndrome.

Sinners actors Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting a BAFTA award.

Emma McNally, CEO of UK charity Tourettes Action, has also spoken out about the controversy, emphasising that symptoms of Tourette’s are neurological, not intentional.

”We deeply understand that these words can cause hurt but at the same time, it is vital that the public understands a fundamental truth about Tourette syndrome: tics are involuntary. They are not a reflection of a person’s beliefs, intentions, or character,” she said.

McNally described the backlash as “extremely saddening, particularly given how hard John works to raise awareness and understanding”.

“What should have been a night of celebration for him became overwhelming, and he made the difficult decision to leave the ceremony,” she said.

“This moment reflects exactly what I Swear shows so openly: the isolation, misunderstanding, and emotional weight that so often accompany this condition.

“People with Tourette’s manage their physical and social environments and symptoms on a constant basis. The price of being misunderstood is increased isolation, risk of anxiety and depression and death by suicide.”

In an article published by the UK Telegraph at the time I Swear opened in Europe, Davidson spoke about the incident at his MBE ceremony at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. He had feared such a high-pressure situation would trigger his tics, but said the Queen’s unfazed response to his accidental insult was a “eureka moment”.

“I was thinking to myself, ‘If the queen of England can accept my Tourette’s, and be in my company, why the f— should we have to do all this awareness-raising? Why can’t ordinary people just accept it in the same way?’”

Information about Tourette syndrome, including support and resources, can be found on the Tourette Syndrome Association of Australia website.

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