Lucy Beaumont is furious. A new report shows that just 8% of TV and radio workers are from working-class backgrounds – the lowest figure in a decade. Beaumont – who grew up in a low-income, single-parent family in Hull, and is now an award-winning TV comedian, creator and writer – feels forced to speak out: “My mum became a writer with no qualifications, really struggled and couldn’t carry on in the industry. I was an actor, and then it was the recession and regional theatre went under.”
“Nothing has changed. It makes me want to leave. I’m sick of it. I can’t tell you the amount of scripts I’ve tried to help people get away and the actors I’ve tried to champion. I’m really upset, you know, it’s crippled me for years. I honestly want to jack it all in, because I like helping working-class talent – and I can’t.”
