Sir Lenny Henry has branded the BBC as “very, very white” and said it is an “oppressive institution” that needs to change.

The veteran comedian, who was recently honoured by Bafta with the Alan Clarke prize at the television awards, also claimed Hollywood star Will Smith has stopped “being black” due to his success.



Henry said the entertainment industry fails to show a multicultural society, telling the Sunday People: “Until writers and directors reflect what is happening, they won’t represent us properly.”

The Comic Relief founder added: “I worked at the BBC for 35 years before I had a meeting with anyone who looks like me.

“The only people like me were cleaning the corridors, and that is not right.

“You walk into the Beeb and it is very, very white. That is not anybody’s fault. You can be in an oppressive institution and not be an oppressor.”

Culture secretary John Whittingdale said diversity would be at the very centre of changes made to the BBC when he unveiled his white paper on the future of the broadcaster last week.

Henry also slammed the lack of diversity at this year’s Oscars, joking that the only brown person nominated for an academy award was the bear in the film The Revenant.

He added: “If a movie makes more than a hundred dollars, some black people stop being black – they become Will Smith.”

