BBC apologises after N-word airs twice in one day
This comes weeks after the Baftas controversy where the N-word was aired by the broadcaster
BBC apologises after N-word airs twice in one day
The BBC says the N-word was played in “error.”
STORY BY MELISSA SIGODO
APRIL 26, 2026
The BBC has apologised after airing the N-word twice in one day on Radio 1.
During a Newsbeat package earlier this month, a song by the rapper Childish Gambino which featured the N-word was used as a backtrack during a segment about his new film - The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
According to The Sun, a clip of the song was played on Newsbeat at 12:45pm and 5:45pm.
Now, we understand that the correct process in selecting the censored version of the song was not followed and the BBC has told the Community Reporter that the N-word was broadcast in “error”.
The incident comes weeks after the Bafta Film Awards where Tourette’s campaigner John Davidson shouted the N-word in an involuntary outburst while actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage.
The BBC aired the word leaving Black viewers outraged and the two actors visibly uncomfortable.
As well as broadcasting the slur, it was also left in the iPlayer version of the ceremony for hours.
The BBC apologised for failing to edit out the N-word and an internal review found that “the production team did not hear the N-word at the time it was said and therefore no decision was taken to leave the word within the broadcast.”
Director General Tim Davie added that the word was not left in intentionally.
Now, following the Newsbeat segment, a BBC spokesperson said: “We are very sorry this was broadcast.
“We should not have included this clip in this news report, and we removed the clip from Sounds when we realised the error.”