Black British TV talent 'fighting over scraps' with industry seen as going backwards since BLM

Black British TV producers are "fighting over scraps" because of the lack of opportunities, industry figures have said, arguing that conditions are worse now than before the Black Lives Matter movement of 2020.

- Lanre Bakare

The Guardian spoke to Black British executives, producers, directors and writers who said their industry had not fundamentally changed after the racial reckoning that was triggered by the reaction to George Floyd's murder five years ago.

Andy Mundy-Castle, founder of the indie company DocHearts who won a Bafta and a Royal Television Society award in 2024 for the documentary White Nanny, Black Child, said despite critical acclaim it was as difficult as ever to get commissions.

"You are so far removed from the top of the food chain that you just get the scraps... we aren't given the biggest opportunities," he said. "I've been noisy and stubborn enough not to go away but there are so many people who have just said: 'Fuck this. We're leaving.'"

Marcus Ryder, chief executive of the Film and TV Charity, said the lack of representation behind the camera at the highest level has contributed to the stasis that many Black figures within TV and film have reported.

Ofcom's latest report into equity, diversity and inclusion in broadcasting found 18% of workers in the industry are people of colour, but only 11% of senior managers are non-white. The UK benchmark is 16%.