Speaker Spotlight: John Davidson – The Story Behind “I Swear” & Tourette Syndrome Advocate

John Davidson is a Scottish campaigner for Tourette syndrome whose lived experience has helped challenge stigma and reshape public understanding of the condition in the UK. Diagnosed as a teenager, he first came to national attention through the BBC documentary “John’s Not Mad” in 1989. Since then, John has appeared in multiple television documentaries following his life into adulthood and has dedicated himself to education and awareness, delivering talks and workshops for schools, teachers, and police forces. His story continues to reach new audiences through the biographical film “I Swear”, released in 2025, which brings his experiences and advocacy to the big screen.

John Davidson’s Key Career Achievements:

• 2025 – “I Swear” released, a biographical feature film directed by Kirk Jones, with Robert Aramayo portraying John Davidson.
• 2019 – Appointed MBE for services to Tourette syndrome awareness and family support.
• 2019 – Board member of Tourette Scotland, contributing lived-experience insight to national work.
• 2016 – Featured in the BBC One documentary “Tourette’s: Teenage Tics”.
• 2014 – Appeared in “Tourettes & Me” on BBC One, revisiting his story years later.
• 2009 – Subject of the BBC One documentary “Tourettes: I Swear I Can’t Help It”.
• 2007 – Appeared in Channel 4’s “Tourette de France” as part of the “Only Human” series.
• 2002 – Featured in the BBC One documentary “The Boy Can’t Help It”.
• 1989 – Rose to national attention through the BBC One documentary “John’s Not Mad”.

John Davidson’s Biography:

John Davidson was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome at the age of 13 while growing up in the Scottish Borders, at a time when the condition was widely misunderstood. His childhood and teenage years were shaped by stigma, limited awareness, and a lack of appropriate support within education and society. At just 17, his life became the subject of the BBC documentary “John’s Not Mad” in 1989, a landmark programme that confronted public misconceptions and presented an honest portrayal of Tourette syndrome to a national audience.

As John entered adulthood, broadcasters continued to follow his journey, creating a rare longitudinal record of life with Tourette syndrome. Documentaries, including “The Boy Can’t Help It” and Tourettes: I Swear I Can’t Help It revisited his experiences years later, exploring how the condition affected his independence, employment, and day-to-day life. Throughout this period, John worked as a caretaker at Langlee Community Centre in Galashiels and remained closely involved in his local community, alongside long-standing voluntary youth work.

In later years, John became increasingly involved in organised awareness and support activity, working with charities such as Tourette Scotland and Tourettes Action. He founded a Borders-based support group to help families affected by the condition and contributed his lived experience to wider discussions around neurodiversity and disability understanding. John’s contribution to public awareness has been formally recognised and continues to reach new audiences. In 2019, he was appointed an MBE for services to increasing understanding of Tourette syndrome and supporting families across the UK.

His personal experiences were later captured in his autobiography, “I Swear”, which provides a candid, first-hand account of growing up and navigating adult life with Tourette syndrome across several decades. That story was subsequently adapted for the screen in the biographical feature film “I Swear”, released in 2025 and directed by Kirk Jones, with John portrayed by Robert Aramayo, extending the reach of his experiences and campaigning to a global audience. Taken together, his life and work constitute one of the most enduring and visible contributions to Tourette syndrome awareness in the UK.

John Davidson as a Keynote Speaker: