BBC cuts Akinola Davies Jr’s ‘Free Palestine’ comment from Baftas coverage

The BBC cut the broadcast of an award winner’s plea to ‘Free Palestine’ during the TV coverage of the Bafta’s.

Last night the biggest night in British cinema was held in London – with films including Hamnet, Sinners and One Battle After Another walking away with major awards.

One also went to director Akinola Davies Jr – who won Outstanding Debut by a British writer, director or producer for his drama My Father’s Shadow.

The film – which he wrote alongside his brother Wale Davies – follows a family reuniting during the 1993 Nigerian election.

Stepping on stage to speak following his win, Davies Jr thanked his brother and family for ‘nurturing the spark and writing this story’.

He then went on to thank ‘all those whose parents migrated’ after experiencing persecution and genocide, adding that ‘your stories matter more than ever’.

‘Your dreams are an act of resistance. Archive your loved ones, archive your stories yesterday, today, and forever,’ he said.

Concluding his speech, the filmmaker then declared ‘For Nigeria, for London, the Congo, Sudan. Free Palestine’, which was met with a round of applause.

However, when his speech aired during the BBC’s TV coverage two hours later, his final comment had been cut.

Although Davies Jr hasn’t yet commented on this part of his speech being removed, following his win he shared a photo on social media holding his trophy and then another with his brother on the red carpet.

He also later re-shared a video from photographer and social activist Misan Harriman, who had filmed and shared the speech in full.

In a statement to Screen Daily, the BBC shared: ‘The live event is three hours, and it has to be reduced to two hours for its on-air slot. The same happened to other speeches made during the night, and all edits were made to ensure the programme was delivered to time. All winners’ speeches will be available to watch via Bafta’s YouTube Channel.’

The BBC’s coverage of the awards ceremony has also come under scrutiny after Tourette’s campaigner John Davidson shouted the N-word among other explicit outbursts during the evet.

The movie I Swear, which stars Robert Aramayo, tells Davidson’s story of growing up with severe Tourette’s syndrome in the 1980s.

However, in a clip from the delayed broadcast also going viral on social media, he shouted the N-word when Sinners actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo presented the best visual effects to Avatar: Fire and Ash at the beginning of the night.

Addressing the outbursts, host Alan Cumming later said on stage that Davidson had ‘no control’ over the outbursts and said: ‘You may have noticed some strong language in the background. This can be part of how Tourette’s syndrome shows up for some people, as the film explores that experience. Thanks for your understanding and helping create a respectful space for everyone.’

In a statement issued to NBC News after the awards ceremony, a BBC spokesperson echoed Cumming’s apology, adding: ‘Some viewers may have heard strong and offensive language during the BAFTA Film Awards 2026. This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette syndrome, and was not intentional. We apologise for any offence caused by the language heard.’

There has been no direct apology made to Jordan and Lindo following the incident.

A few days before the awards, it was reported that the national broadcaster was keeping an eye for politically charged speeches following the controversy surrounding Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury performance last year, during which the band chanted ‘Death to the IDF’.

An insider revealed that BBC executives and external producers at Penny Lane Entertainment wanted to avoid any similarly controversial moments at the Baftas.

Unlike Glastonbury, the Baftas are not broadcast live, and the three-hour ceremony is edited down to a two-hour show aired later in the evening, often with certain categories and moments trimmed down for timing purposes.

‘They can’t have another Glastonbury – that’s the thing they keep talking about,’ a person close to the preparations revealed to Deadline.

Another source told the publication there was ‘nervousness’ about any potential anti-Trump sentiment (a Trump joke made by Bafta host David Tennant was cut last year).

In a statement, a BBC spokesperson told the publication: ‘As is always the case, the show’s content must be appropriate for the slot and in line with BBC editorial guidelines, as well as Ofcom-compliant.

‘The ceremony itself is far longer than the two-hour broadcast, and while we always aim to keep the core sentiment of acceptance speeches, edits are made due to time constraints.’

Following the backlash to the BBC airing Bob Vylan’s set last summer, the former BBC director-general Tim Davie admitted the act had been deemed ‘high risk’ ahead of broadcasting.

Metro has contacted the BBC and Akinola Davies Jr for comment.

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