Film about Scot's Tourette battle outselling blockbusters

A FILM about a campaigning Tourette Syndrome sufferer has topped the UK box office charts and scored the highest rating in a poll of cinema goers.

- Stuart MacDonald

I Swear has been a massive hit with audiences and critics since it was released earlier this month.

It tells the story of John Davidson through his troubled teens and early adulthood, having been diagnosed at 15-years-old in 1980s Britain a time when the condition was little known and entirely misunderstood.

The 54-year-old, from Galashiels, rose to prominence in 1989 in the BBC documentary John's Not Mad which highlighted his rare condition which causes uncontrollable, foulmouthed public outbursts.

He was awarded an MBE in 2019 for his efforts to increase understanding of the condition and helping families deal with it across the country. The actor, Robert Aramayo, who plays the lead role has been tipped for an Oscar for his performance as the Scot.

The film made more than £1.1m in its opening weekend and has now become the number one film in the UK ahead of blockbusters like Tron: Ares and One Battle After Another starring Leonardo DiCaprio.