I was the poster boy for Tourette’s and swore in front of the Queen | UK News

John Davidson became the reluctant poster boy for Tourette’s Syndrome when he was just 16 years old.

The little known condition, previously described as “wild madness”, caused him to spasm and jerk, swear uncontrollably and shout explicit sexual phrases.

In the 1989 documentary John’s Not Mad, he cut a sad and lonely figure as the cameras followed him around his home town of Galashiels in the Scottish Borders.

“Tourette’s is such an awful condition that most of the time I don’t want to be the centre of attention,” he says.

“I want to be able to walk down the street and not be noticed because I’m shouting or swearing.”

Now 54, John has chosen to keep the spotlight on himself to highlight the condition which – according to NHS statistics – affects around one in a hundred school-aged children in the UK.

And his story is being told in a new film I Swear.

“I remembered John’s story from the documentary,” says the film’s writer and director Kirk Jones

“It’s incredibly sad but at times, also humorous. I couldn’t think of a more extreme example of someone whose life over the last 40 years has encompassed incredible upset, tragedy and emotion.”

Actor Robert Aramayo, who plays John as an adult, also watched the documentaries. But his most important resource was John himself, who was an executive producer on the film.

“I spent months with John in Galashiels,” says Aramayo, who also appears in the Amazon TV series The Lord of the Rings.

“We went for walks, for dinner, watched football together and went to the community centre.

“I felt very lucky to spend so much time with him. He’ll be in my life now, hopefully forever.”

Further documentaries about John’s life introduced others with Tourette’s, and along with them, a shared humour about their situation.

“Tourette’s affects people in different ways but I’ve always thought it was okay to have a laugh,” says John.

“Because some of the things that they come out with, some of the situations can be really, really funny.

“And I think that should be encouraged because that’s one tool that I carry in my toolbox for getting through life.”

The film’s cast includes Maxine Peake, Shirley Henderson and Peter Mullan but it also brought in the wider Tourette’s community.

One of them, Andrea Bisset, is known for sharing her experience – and her driving lessons – with an online audience.

Her small role in I Swear may give her an opportunity to pursue her dream of becoming an actor.

For John it’s also been a milestone moment.

“It’s so surreal to be sitting watching yourself on screen,” he says.

“It’s bizarre but also very humbling.”

Things have changed since 1989. John is no longer alone.

Tourette’s is now one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in the world – with pop star Lewis Capaldi just one of the recent diagnoses.

“Back then, we knew that Tourette’s existed but it was a rare condition,” says John.

“There’s nothing rare about it now. Millions of people live with it.

“This film raises awareness but it also gives people the grit and determination to keep going, fight on for their kids, go to schools, go to your local MPs.

“We need people to stand up and listen.”

Tourette’s rarely appears alone, and the majority of people also have conditions like ADHD, OCD, anxiety or autism.

Coprolalia – involuntary swearing – isn’t typical, although it’s often the focus of media attention.

And while there’s a greater understanding of Tourette’s, and better support networks, there are also more pitfalls than ever before.

“In 2025 there are so many more things that you can say which are explosive in a sentence,” says the film’s writer and director.

“You can walk down the street and just shout a couple of words and it could get you punched, it could get you arrested, it could get you beaten up,” he says.

“I really hope that this film can make people think twice about giving people space, giving them time, having patience with people who aren’t exactly like you are.”

Jones adds: “I remember a lady I met after one screening saying that if she had met someone like John on her way to the cinema to see the film, she would have reacted with suspicion and fear.

“As she left the cinema, she said, ‘If I met someone like John on the way home, I would talk to them and I would understand a little more about what was going on with them’.”

John won over another fan in 2019 when he went to Holyrood Palace to receive an MBE for his campaigning work.

He knew his nerves would make his symptoms even more pronounced but he was determined to be there.

“I began ticcing and shouting and I was absolutely mortified,” John says.

“But then I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was one of the Royal Archers, the Queen’s bodyguards while she’s in Holyrood, and a voice said ‘Don’t stress, she knows all about your condition’.”

“That to me was huge because I’ve struggled so much with everyday life, with people misunderstanding, and if the Queen of the United Kingdom can understand and ignore the tics and the swear words then why can’t the rest of society?”

I Swear is in UK cinemas from 10 October. Certificate 15.