BBC Director-General Tim Davie has informed Parliament that the broadcasting of a racial slur during the Bafta Film Awards was an unintentional error, with the corporation expressing deep remorse over the incident. This comes as the BBC is facing scrutiny after the racial slur was broadcast, despite the programme airing with a two-hour delay. Tourette's campaigner John Davidson involuntarily shouted the slur whilst Sinners actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting an award on stage during the February 22 ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall. A second instance occurred less than 10 minutes later when Sinners star Wunmi Mosaku collected her best supporting actress prize. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say On that occasion, the editing team detected the slur and immediately removed it from the version scheduled to air on BBC One later that evening. However, the first incident remained in the broadcast that was later shown on television and made available on BBC iPlayer. The continued availability of the recording on the streaming platform for around 15 hours has drawn particular criticism, with journalists and viewers raising concerns on the night of the broadcast. In correspondence with Dame Caroline Dinenage, chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Mr Davie said: “I'd like to make clear: although the racial slur was symptomatic of a disability and an involuntary tic, it should never have been broadcast. "It was a genuine mistake, and we take full responsibility for our error.” The outgoing director-general confirmed the BBC “profoundly regrets” what occurred during the ceremony. Mr Davie’s letter explained that the production team in the outside broadcast truck did not hear the first slur during the live feed. He wrote: “Our initial evidence gathering has found that no-one in the on-site broadcast truck heard this when they were watching the live feed. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS Jessie Buckley targeted by cancel culture mob after 'forcing' husband to get rid of beloved pet UK Eurovision song to be sung in GERMAN and criticises British culture as 'boring' Lorraine Kelly replaced on ITV show at last-minute after sparking health concern days earlier “Because no-one in the broadcast truck was aware it was on the live feed, there was therefore no editorial decision made to leave the language in.” The confusion appears to have arisen after the second incident was detected and removed by the editing team. Shortly afterwards, Bafta representatives began alerting the production crew that a racial slur had been heard during the ceremony. Mr Davie explained: “Our understanding at this point is that the team editing the show in the truck mistakenly believed they had edited out the incident that was being referenced, on the basis that they had heard and edited out the slur shouted out during the best supporting actress award. “Therefore, when they were told a racial slur had been shouted, they believed they had removed it.” According to reports, a Bafta representative also raised concerns via a WhatsApp group chat, though the message arrived after Mosaku had left the stage, leading the production team to assume the warning referred to the incident they had already dealt with. The BBC boss acknowledged that further reports after the BBC One transmission revealed the first slur was still present in the recording. He stated: “Our current understanding is that the on-site team did not believe that the slur was audible on the broadcast, and the show remained on iPlayer unedited that evening." Overnight discussions followed before the issue was escalated to chief content officer Kate Phillips, who authorised the programme’s removal from BBC iPlayer. The BBC is now investigating why staff failed to realise sooner that two separate incidents had occurred, and why the recording was not edited or withdrawn more quickly. Warner Bros executives reportedly confronted BBC representatives in a tense meeting last week, demanding answers over how the slur remained in the broadcast despite the two-hour delay. The studio behind Sinners had initially sought discussions on the Monday following the ceremony but faced delays in arranging the meeting. Bafta later issued an apology acknowledging “the harm this has caused”, offering unreserved apologies to Mr Jordan and Mr Lindo whilst praising their “incredible dignity and professionalism”. Mr Davidson, who attended the ceremony representing the film I Swear based on his life, has said the BBC should have “worked harder to prevent anything that I said” being broadcast. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy described the incident as “completely unacceptable and harmful”, insisting the BBC must ensure it never happens again. The BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit is now conducting a fast-tracked investigation, with the corporation facing a March 9 deadline to respond to Parliament’s questions. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter