UK TV’s Working Class Crisis: Diamond Report Finds Underrepresentation at Junior and Senior Levels

The UK television industry is failing to represent working-class people at both entry-level and top roles, according to new research from the Diamond diversity monitor. The broadcaster-backed Creative Diversity Network (CDN) found that people from working-class backgrounds make up only around a quarter of the TV workforce, despite representing a much larger share of the UK population. This underrepresentation persists across seniority levels, meaning the industry is neither hiring enough working-class talent nor promoting them into leadership positions. The findings highlight a systemic issue: without diverse voices in decision-making roles, the stories and perspectives shown on screen risk becoming narrower. The report is the first of its kind to measure socio-economic diversity across the entire TV sector, making it a crucial benchmark for future progress. For an industry that prides itself on reflecting society, the data suggests a significant disconnect. Unless broadcasters and production companies take deliberate action to open doors and support career progression, the working-class deficit will likely persist — and audiences will notice.