Grenfell victims are finally given a voice

Sir David & Life on Erth

THE lives of 20 “anonymous” Grenfell Tower victims about who authorities know nothing more than their names are to be explored for a BBC2 documentary.

The inferno killed at least 69 people earlier this year, but barely anything is known about more than a quarter of them. Now Reggie Yates is to unearth the personal stories and experiences of the disaster’s “hidden victims”.

Reggie, 34, says: “I grew up in an estate like Lancaster West to parents who had moved to the UK from Ghana, so I understand what it means to live in a community like that.

“And I understand the lazy preconceptions that sometimes exist.

“They are not places of decay and hopelessness, they are places of hope and energy and ambition. That’s the spirit I want to capture by uncovering the stories of those who lived there”.

BBC factual boss Colin Barr adds: “The tragedy at Grenfell cast a long and dark shadow across the country. Yet we still know little about the people who lived in that vibrant community and lost their lives there.

“Reggie will bring an understanding and empathy to the subject.”

The BBC2 special, Reggie Yates: Searching for Grenfell’s Hidden Victims, will air next year.

Channel boss Patrick Holland said Reggie, a former Top of the Pops host, had developed into a “brilliant filmmaker with an exceptional ability to listen”.

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PROBE Presenter Reggie Yates