Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne Pinnock to Lead BBC Three Doc on Racism

Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock is making a one-off documentary for BBC Three that will explore her own personal experiences of racism and colorism as a black woman in the U.K.

Leigh-Anne: Colourism & Race (working title), made by Dragonfly Film and Television, is being produced by Kandise Abiola and will be the debut film of director and Pinnock’s childhood friend, Tash Gaunt. It will shine a light on Pinnock as she learns more about systemic racism in Britain.

Pinnock said: “I want to make this film because I have always been passionate about rights for black people. Conversations surrounding racism and colorism are something I constantly have with my boyfriend and family, and as I have a platform, I want to use that platform to bring this conversation to a wider audience and stand up for my black and brown community. Systemic racism is complex; through making this documentary I want to learn how I can best lend my voice to the debate so that the young people who look up to me won’t have to face what me and my generation have had to.”

Richard Bond, managing director for Dragonfly Film and Television, added: “This is a historic moment for civil rights, and we are honored to be working with such a high profile figure as Leigh-Anne on a film which is so important to her personally, and which will hopefully help to highlight and combat the injustice of systemic racism in the UK and around the world.”

Fiona Campbell, controller of BBC Three, said: “We are constantly having conversations about race and discrimination and how we can cover it on BBC Three in a way that can contribute to making positive and permanent change. This is a film we commissioned a few months ago and the start of filming with Leigh-Anne has coincided with the tragic death of George Floyd and the current protests and debates which have brought these issues into sharper focus for her, for Britain and the world. By working with high profile talent like Leigh-Anne, and other important individuals she will meet through this process, we hope the honest conversations this film will feature will have the power to change attitudes, offer insight and help to prevent racism in our society.”