Access All Areas

** PRE-ORDER LENNY HENRY'S NEW AUTOBIOGRAPHY RISING TO THE SURFACE NOW ** 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.

Lenny Henry has been a comedian since the age of 16. He has risen from being a cult star on children's television to one of Britain's best-known and most celebrated comedians, as well as a writer, radio DJ, TV presenter, and award-winning actor. He is best-known for his appearances in TISWAS, Three of a Kind, The Lenny Henry Show, Hope & Glory, Lenny Henry in Pieces and Chef! Since co-founding Comic Relief in 1985, he has also been involved in every Red Nose Day night since 1988. He has received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the British Comedy Awards as well as the British Academy Television Special Award, and is a fellow of the Royal Television Society. Henry has a PhD in Media Arts, and in 2015 was awarded a knighthood for services to charity and drama. In 2018, BBC One aired The Lenny Henry Birthday Show to celebrate his career so far.