Lenny Henry “always surprised by lack of Black faces” in audience at Glastonbury and UK festivals
nme.comGlastonbury Festival.The comedian, actor and TV presenter said that it’s “interesting” to see what he claims is a lack of “Black and brown faces” at the festival and other UK events.He made the remarks while speaking to BBC journalist and presenter Clive Myrie for the Radio Times. “It’s interesting to watch Glastonbury and look at the audience and not see any black people there,” he said.Henry’s perceptions were backed up somewhat by Glastonbury co-organiser Emily Eavis, who said in a new BBC documentary that Stormzy’s headline performance in 2019 came “a little bit late”.
The rapper was the first Black solo British headliner in the festival’s history.Emily, who is the daughter of Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis, said in the programme: “He was representing the black community in a very predominately white festival and obviously that’s a really important moment for us, but it’s also a little bit late maybe.
We should have probably done it before.”Henry added to Myrie: “I’m always surprised by the lack of black and brown faces at festivals.
I think, ‘Wow, that’s still very much a dominant culture thing.'”He went on to speak to Myrie about the latter’s promotion to present the long-running BBC quiz show Mastermind as well as general representation in British media.
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