BBC criticised for removing “free Palestine” from BAFTA speech
Award-winning filmmaker’s pro-palestinian message cut amid racial slur controversy, sparking accusations of bias
LONDON (MNTV) — The BBC is under fire for censoring part of Akinola Davies Jr.’s acceptance speech at the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs), in which the award-winning filmmaker called for “Free Palestine.”
The remarks were omitted from the two-hour delayed broadcast, even as a racial slur remained audible during another segment, prompting widespread criticism of the UK broadcaster.
Davies Jr, who won the Outstanding Debut award for his film My Father’s Shadow, had dedicated his speech to “all those whose parents migrated to obtain a better life for their children” and expressed solidarity with “those under occupation, dictatorship, persecution, and those experiencing genocide.”
He concluded: “Archive your loved ones, archive your stories yesterday, today, and forever. For Nigeria, for London, the Congo, Sudan, Free Palestine.”
Rights group Amnesty International UK condemned the BBC’s decision to remove the remarks as “shameful,” highlighting the broadcaster’s repeated pattern of editing pro-Palestinian content.
“Thank you Akinola Davies Jr for using your platform to speak out for the rights of migrants and people facing and fleeing persecution and mass atrocities — from the Congo to Sudan to Palestine,” Amnesty UK said.
The controversy was intensified after an audience member with Tourette syndrome unintentionally shouted a racial slur during the announcement of the Best Visual Effects award.
The BBC apologised for airing the incident but has faced criticism for permitting a political message on Palestine to be censored while leaving offensive language intact.
This is not the first time the BBC has faced scrutiny over its coverage of Israel and Gaza. In June 2025, it refused to air a documentary on medical workers in Gaza, citing “partiality” concerns, despite opposition from over 100 of its journalists.
The BBC was also previously accused of removing pro-Palestinian displays and ceasefire appeals from its 2023 BAFTA coverage.
A BBC spokesperson defended the edits, saying the three-hour live event had to be cut to fit a two-hour broadcast slot, and all winners’ speeches are available via BAFTA’s YouTube channel. Critics, however, accuse the broadcaster of consistently suppressing Palestinian voices while giving platforms to pro-Israel narratives.
The Davies brothers’ remarks were widely praised online for highlighting the plight of Palestinians alongside other persecuted communities, underscoring the growing criticism of media bias in coverage of Israel and its actions in Gaza.
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