British star Robert Aramayo’s emotional reaction to winning the Bafta for best actor for his portrayal of a Tourette Syndrome campaigner in the movie I Swear was arguably one of the standout moments of the 2026 Bafta film awards on Feb 22.
Set in 1980s Galashiels, a town in the Scottish Borders in Britain, I Swear follows the story of John Davidson, who developed the neurological disorder when he was 12, and his journey to advocating for better awareness of the condition.
Underdog Aramayo also scooped up the EE Rising Star award at the ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall in London, and the film also won the award for best casting.
However, the BBC had to issue a formal apology following the broadcast after a racial slur was unintentionally shouted during the ceremony by Davidson due to his syndrome, as Sinners actors Delroy Lindo and Michael B. Jordan, who are both Black, presented the award for special visual effects.
While the highly-praised I Swear biopic has shone a much-needed light on Tourette Syndrome, the incident during the ceremony raised many questions about the condition and left some feeling insulted.
British consultant psychiatrist and Tourette Syndrome specialist Dr Lisa Davies highlights seven key things she wishes everyone knew about Tourette Syndrome.
“Tourette Syndrome is a neurological disorder and is diagnosed based on the presence of involuntary motor and vocal/phonic tics, which must be present for at least 12 months to meet the diagnostic criteria,” she says.
“Tics can range from mild, which include things like blinking and throat clearing, to very extremely severe and include serious things like coprolalia (inappropriate words and phrases) or copropraxia (offensive hand gestures),” says Dr Davies.
“There is also something called Nosi (which stands for non-obscene socially inappropriate behaviour or symptoms), which can get people into a lot of difficulty.
“Some people may also present with self-injurious behaviour where, by virtue of their tics, they hit themselves.”
One of the biggest misconceptions around Tourette Syndrome is that everybody with the condition will swear or say socially-inappropriate things.
Coprolalia is the clinical term for tics that produce socially-unacceptable words, but only approximately 10-30% of people with this syndrome have this symptom, according to British research charity Tourettes Action’s website.
“The bias or stigma attached with the label Tourette Syndrome is largely to do with the negative media bias placed on this syndrome, which is largely focused on coprolalia,” says Dr Davies.
“That’s what is usually shown on TV and is often what the social media algorithm will feed you, but it doesn’t show the whole picture.”
“Tics are involuntary, but some people have something that they call a ‘premonitory sensation’, which is a bit like the feeling you get before you sneeze,” she notes.
“Some people say they feel a tickle or a sensation in their body that signifies that tics are coming on, but that doesn’t mean that they can help it.”
“Some individuals can suppress their tics for a certain length of time, but often within that period it’s like a pressure cooker building up, which feels very uncomfortable,” says Dr Davies.
“Then often what happens is a ‘rebound’ where by virtue of holding the tics in, when they do then come out, they come out in a more explosive, severe way.
“That’s why sometimes it can be helpful for them to go to a safe place to let their tics out.”
“It’s quite difficult to monitor treatment response to Tourette Syndrome because the nature of the tics can get better and worse over months and weeks for no obvious reason, and the term we use is ‘waxing and waning’,” she says.
“However, there’s often environmental variability, and for each child or individual, that differs.”
During an assessment, Dr Davies says she will ask her patients questions about what tends to make their tics worse and what makes them better.
“For example, some people will say when they’re relaxed and watching TV, that’s when their tics will come out, but others will say that’s when their tics are better.
“So, it depends on the individual,” she says.
“However, stress, tiredness, anxiety, frustration and hunger are all common things that people often report that make their tics worse.”
Up to 85% of people with Tourette Syndrome will also experience co-occurring conditions and features that might include attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety, according to Tourettes Action’s website.
“When I’m doing an assessment for tics, it’s just as important to take into account all of these aspects, because something like the OCD might be the thing that’s actually affecting their lives more,” says Dr Davies. – PA Media/dpa
