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Access All Areas: The Diversity Manifesto for TV and Beyond
Sir Lenny Henry rang up the Office for National Statistics to confirm something he'd been thinking about for a long time. They told him that only 29.5% of the United Kingdom's population is made up of white, heterosexual, able-bodied men; so, he wonders, why do they still make up the vast majority of people we see in our media?
Joining forces with the former Chair of the Royal Television Society's Diversity Committee Marcus Ryder, he draws on decades of experience to reveal why recent efforts to diversify media have been thus far ineffective, and why they are simply not enough. With wit, humour and unflinching gravitas they analyse the flaws of current diversity initiatives, point out the structural and financial imbalances working against the cause, and provide clear solutions to get the media industry back on track.
Access All Areas is an urgent, actionable manifesto that will dramatically shift the debate around diversity and the media.
Joining forces with the former Chair of the Royal Television Society's Diversity Committee Marcus Ryder, he draws on decades of experience to reveal why recent efforts to diversify media have been thus far ineffective, and why they are simply not enough. With wit, humour and unflinching gravitas they analyse the flaws of current diversity initiatives, point out the structural and financial imbalances working against the cause, and provide clear solutions to get the media industry back on track.
Access All Areas is an urgent, actionable manifesto that will dramatically shift the debate around diversity and the media.
- GenresNonfictionPolitics
192 pages, Paperback
Published January 7, 2021
7 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
Lenny Henry
60 books48 followersLenworth George "Lenny" Henry, CBE is an English actor, writer, comedian and occasional television presenter. Henry is known as the choleric chef Gareth Blackstock from the 1990s television comedy series Chef!, or from his 1999 straight-acting lead role in the BBC drama Hope And Glory. He was co-creator with Neil Gaiman and producer of the 1996 BBC drama serial Neverwhere.
His earliest television appearance was on the New Faces talent show, which he won in 1975 with an impersonation of Stevie Wonder. The following year he appeared with Norman Beaton in LWT's sitcom The Fosters, Britain's first comedy series with predominantly black performers. His formative years were spent in working men's clubs, where his act was as a young black man impersonating white characters such as the Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em character Frank Spencer (whom he impersonated on New Faces). He also made guest appearances on television programmes including Celebrity Squares, Seaside Special and The Ronnie Corbett Show.
He co-hosted the children's programme Tiswas from 1978 until 1981, and subsequently performed and wrote for the show Three of a Kind, with comedians Tracey Ullman and David Copperfield. Also in 1980, he teamed up with The Comic Strip where he met his wife, comedienne Dawn French. She encouraged him to move over to the fledgling alternative comedy scene, where he established a career as a stand-up comedy performer and character comedian. He introduced characters who both mocked and celebrated black British culture, such as Theophilus P. Wildebeeste (a homage to Teddy Pendergrass using the 'TP' initials), Brixton pirate radio disc jockey DJ Delbert Wilkins and Trevor MacDoughnut (a parody of Trevor McDonald). His stand-up material, which sold well on LP, owed much to the writing abilities of Kim Fuller.
The first series of The Lenny Henry Show appeared on the BBC in 1984. The show featured stand up, spoofs like his send up of Michael Jackson's Thriller video, and many of the characters he had developed during Summer Season, including Theophilus P. Wildebeeste and Delbert Wilkins. The Lenny Henry Show ran for a further 20 years in various incarnations.
In the early 1990s, Henry starred in the Hollywood film True Identity, in which his character pretended to be a white person (using make-up, prostheses, and a wig) in order to avoid the mob. The film was not commercially successful.
In 1991, he starred in a BBC drama alongside Robbie Coltrane called Alive and Kicking, in which he played a heroin addict, which was based on a true story.
In 2003, Henry was listed in The Observer as one of the fifty funniest acts in British comedy. In 2004, he was listed in The Sunday Times as the fifteenth funniest black performer of all time. Henry is associated with the British Comic Relief charity organisation, along with his former wife, comedienne Dawn French, and Griff Rhys Jones, and has hosted the show and also presented filmed reports from overseas on the work of the charity.
He was the voice of the "shrunken head" on the Knight Bus in the 2004 movie Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and read the audio book version of Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys.
He was introduced to Shakespeare when he made the 2006 Radio 4 series Lenny and Will. Which saw him going "in search of the magic of Shakespeare in performance." In February 2009 Henry appeared in the Northern Broadsides production of Othello. He received widespread critical acclaim in the role.
Henry graduated in English Literature, (BA Hons), with the Open University in 2007. Henry studied for an MA at Royal Holloway, University of London in screenwriting for television and film, where he received a distinction and where he is now studying for a PhD on the role of black people in the media. Henry was made a CBE in the New Years Honours list in 1998 for his services to comedy drama and Comic Relief.
His earliest television appearance was on the New Faces talent show, which he won in 1975 with an impersonation of Stevie Wonder. The following year he appeared with Norman Beaton in LWT's sitcom The Fosters, Britain's first comedy series with predominantly black performers. His formative years were spent in working men's clubs, where his act was as a young black man impersonating white characters such as the Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em character Frank Spencer (whom he impersonated on New Faces). He also made guest appearances on television programmes including Celebrity Squares, Seaside Special and The Ronnie Corbett Show.
He co-hosted the children's programme Tiswas from 1978 until 1981, and subsequently performed and wrote for the show Three of a Kind, with comedians Tracey Ullman and David Copperfield. Also in 1980, he teamed up with The Comic Strip where he met his wife, comedienne Dawn French. She encouraged him to move over to the fledgling alternative comedy scene, where he established a career as a stand-up comedy performer and character comedian. He introduced characters who both mocked and celebrated black British culture, such as Theophilus P. Wildebeeste (a homage to Teddy Pendergrass using the 'TP' initials), Brixton pirate radio disc jockey DJ Delbert Wilkins and Trevor MacDoughnut (a parody of Trevor McDonald). His stand-up material, which sold well on LP, owed much to the writing abilities of Kim Fuller.
The first series of The Lenny Henry Show appeared on the BBC in 1984. The show featured stand up, spoofs like his send up of Michael Jackson's Thriller video, and many of the characters he had developed during Summer Season, including Theophilus P. Wildebeeste and Delbert Wilkins. The Lenny Henry Show ran for a further 20 years in various incarnations.
In the early 1990s, Henry starred in the Hollywood film True Identity, in which his character pretended to be a white person (using make-up, prostheses, and a wig) in order to avoid the mob. The film was not commercially successful.
In 1991, he starred in a BBC drama alongside Robbie Coltrane called Alive and Kicking, in which he played a heroin addict, which was based on a true story.
In 2003, Henry was listed in The Observer as one of the fifty funniest acts in British comedy. In 2004, he was listed in The Sunday Times as the fifteenth funniest black performer of all time. Henry is associated with the British Comic Relief charity organisation, along with his former wife, comedienne Dawn French, and Griff Rhys Jones, and has hosted the show and also presented filmed reports from overseas on the work of the charity.
He was the voice of the "shrunken head" on the Knight Bus in the 2004 movie Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and read the audio book version of Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys.
He was introduced to Shakespeare when he made the 2006 Radio 4 series Lenny and Will. Which saw him going "in search of the magic of Shakespeare in performance." In February 2009 Henry appeared in the Northern Broadsides production of Othello. He received widespread critical acclaim in the role.
Henry graduated in English Literature, (BA Hons), with the Open University in 2007. Henry studied for an MA at Royal Holloway, University of London in screenwriting for television and film, where he received a distinction and where he is now studying for a PhD on the role of black people in the media. Henry was made a CBE in the New Years Honours list in 1998 for his services to comedy drama and Comic Relief.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 31, 2021
I'm really surprised how at the time of writing this review, there is only one other published one here on Goodreads. This book really addresses why we need diversity in media, journalism and TV and why it's taking so long for broadcasters such as the BBC to introduce new voices. Recommended reading for all!
December 29, 2021
if you want to know about the black ceiling in the BBC Lenny reveals the culture of Employing in your own image - that is ' white british male with no disabilities ' . who sometimes let in a different face.
September 11, 2021
As Lenny Henry & Marcus Ryder point out in this thought-provoking and accessible book, only 30% of people in this country are straight, white, able-bodied men. So by improving ‘diversity’, we would actually be making work and life accessible to the MAJORITY of our population. This is a great short read containing practical recommendations for improving diversity in TV, which are certainly applicable to other media and arts industries too.
February 17, 2021
Essential reading for every person in every workplace. Lenny Henry does an excellent job discussing why so many well meaning diversity programmes don't work and puts forward an actionable framework for how to implement real change now.
April 19, 2021
Very informative and very useful. Henry is not only laying out important principles, but also taking the reader through the the journey of his own activism - both through what worked and what didn't (and what to do next).
May 2, 2021
Great book and worth a read. It’s a UK focussed book and it tells the story of Sir Lenny Henry and Marcus Ryder on their quest for diversity in Tv and beyond.
September 22, 2021
A must read for the media industry. Defining your target and holding people in power accountable is the best to reach equity.
April 3, 2022
An informative and startling book by Lenny Henry and Marcus Ryder about diversity or rather lack of it in the British TV. Henry has spent many years working in this area and knows what he's talking about. It's quite disturbing that after all these years there is still such a lack of diversity on TV and more so behind the scenes and it's sad that still in the 21st century most TV in the UK is run by a group that just represents 3% of the population.
What the writers bring is a thought provoking and timely work to address the issue along with some real answers rather than just complaining about the problem. The authors have presented ideas to try and implement change with some success in getting their ideas heard but also considerable resistance.
Although the short book brings some important issues to light it's never preachy and it's done with humour and a generous smattering of Lenny's jokes.
An important and timely read.
What the writers bring is a thought provoking and timely work to address the issue along with some real answers rather than just complaining about the problem. The authors have presented ideas to try and implement change with some success in getting their ideas heard but also considerable resistance.
Although the short book brings some important issues to light it's never preachy and it's done with humour and a generous smattering of Lenny's jokes.
An important and timely read.
February 4, 2024
Working in media, this was a very interesting & personal read.
Highly recommend for anybody who wants to read about representation & diversity in the workplace, especially if in a media / Comms work environment!
Highly recommend for anybody who wants to read about representation & diversity in the workplace, especially if in a media / Comms work environment!
July 9, 2021
Would have got 5 stars, but uses ableist language (find it yourself).
February 2, 2025
Loved some new concepts I've not come across before.
September 15, 2025
i’ve always thought that globally, white straight men must be the minority - and lenny henry backs this up. a funny, thought provoking read.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews