BAFTA Slur Controversy: Can Tourette’s Outbursts Actually Be Controlled?

The BBC has been forced to apologise for failing to censor a racial slur during its BAFTA coverage. The remark was an involuntary tic from John Davidson, who has Tourette’s syndrome and was attending as a film about his life was nominated. While critics have lashed out at Davidson, who has apologised, the incident raises a crucial question: Can someone with Tourette’s actually control these outbursts?