Class still determines who makes a career in TV

Class inequality in the TV industry is not just about getting a foot in the door but also who can afford to progress, according to research by an academic at the Faculty of Arts, Humanities & Cultures

While previous efforts to make the TV industry more inclusive have focused on access at entry level, a policy brief published today (8 May) has found that long-term financial and career risk disproportionately affects those from working-class backgrounds. 

“The issue isn’t just access - it’s who can afford to build a career,” said Beth Johnson,  Professor of Television and Media Studies from the School of Media and Communication at the University of Leeds, who led the research. “Those from working-class backgrounds report higher exposure to insecurity, isolation and poorer mental wellbeing, and are less likely to have access to the financial and social resources that mitigate risk in freelance and project-based work. 

“At a time of wider industry pressure, including large cuts to the BBC workforce, we argue that improving working conditions are central to the long-term resilience and public value of UK television.” 

The briefing, ‘From Evidence to Action: Class Inequality, Workforce Sustainability and Workforce Wellbeing in UK Television’, finds that long hours, freelance contracts and informal hiring practices are shaping who can stay and progress in the television drama industry.  

Even among permanent staff in the industry, those from working-class backgrounds are 11.5% more likely to report intention to leave than their more advantaged peers, according to the new analysis. 

Report co-author Anna Theodoulides, a research assistant in digital media at Leeds, said: "Class doesn't operate in isolation. Workers facing discrimination because of their race, disability or identity find those pressures land harder without the financial cushion, the networks, and the resources that a more privileged class background provides." 

The briefing draws on extensive data from What’s On? Rethinking Social Class in the Television Industry – a project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and led by the University of Leeds.  

In partnership with the BBC, Channel 4 and Candour Productions, the project allowed researchers to go behind the scenes on two drama productions to investigate who makes and shapes how class stories are told, and how audiences interpret them. 

Career unsustainability 

The briefing brings together qualitative data from What’s On?  and new analysis of quantitative data from the Film and TV Charity. 

Professor Johnson and her team, which includes Professor Dave O’Brien (University of Manchester), Dr Laura Minor (University of Salford) and Dr Anna Viola Sborgi (University of Leeds), have conducted anonymous interviews with commissioners, producers, on-screen talent and crew members as part of the project. 

Separate interviews with TV creatives have also been shared in a film made by Candour Productions.  

Caroline Moran, TV writer known for Raised By Wolves and Hullraiser, told the researchers: “I’ve never had a meeting with a production company that wasn’t in London, and those trains are extremely expensive. If you are from a working-class background and you don’t have access to financial resources, is it sustainable as a career?” 

Project production data from What’s On also found that across the case-study productions 61% of roles were secured through personal networks and previous contracts, with only 8% publicly advertised.  

Musanna Ahmed, Development Executive at Pure Fiction TV, said in the film: “It’s elusive out there for finding these full-time jobs because I actually don’t think a lot of them are made public. There is quite a big whisper network in the industry of word-of-mouth or WhatsApp groups... It closes the doors for a lot of people out there.”  

Workforce conditions must be improved 

The key findings included:  

• Class inequality is a labour-market issue, driven by working conditions rather than access alone 

• Current approaches prioritise entry over retention and progression 

• Insecure work and long hours are contributing to workforce exit and poor wellbeing. 

The briefing calls on regulators, funders and broadcasters to focus on: 

• recruitment transparency 
• reducing financial barriers in freelance work 
• improving retention and progression 
• allocating dedicated time to mentoring 
• using existing policy levers, including workforce monitoring tools, to support workforce sustainability. 

Further information 

The extended policy briefing is available on the What’s On website. 

‘From Evidence to Action: Class Inequality, Workforce Sustainability and Workforce Wellbeing in UK Television’ is based on research from the AHRC-funded project ‘What’s On? Rethinking Class in the Television Industry’ and analysis of the Film & TV Charity’s Looking Glass Survey 2024. 

The briefing was authored by Professor Beth Johnson (University of Leeds) and Anna Theodoulides (Research Assistant, University of Leeds). It was prepared in collaboration with the Film & TV Charity and supported by the University of Leeds HEIF Impact Fund.