Broadcasters must ‘up their game’ on diversity or risk losing viewers

SIR LENNY Henry has called for the BBC and other broadcasters to do more to boost diversity, saying it’s “not enough to have more people in and doing the weather”.

Alongside TV stars Adrian Lester and Meera Syal, he delivered a letter signed by a string of stars to 10 Downing Street, calling for tax breaks to effect change.

Sir Lenny warned British broadcasters would lose viewers if they did not serve their audience. The comedian said the BBC was making improvements, but that at the current rate of growth, it would take 40 years to get to the right levels.

“It is very frustrating to be here in the 21st century and still be talking about diversity and inclusion,” he said.

He said the US and France were already making the sorts of changes campaigners were calling for, and it was wrong to think Britain was “at the forefront”.

He added: “We need to up our game. Britain is good at producing ground-breaking, outrageous, diverse stuff.

“But the make-up of people who create those programmes, the gatekeepers... the diversity of that demographic needs to change.”

The BBC will increase its target for disability in its workforce from eight per cent in 2020 to 12 per cent in 2022.

The corporation will also include disabled employees in all development and leadership programmes, and mandate disability awareness training for all of its team managers.

The changes are the result of recommendations from its staff and the BBC’s Ability network.