Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock details her own experiences as a Black woman in the music industry in her new BBC documentary, Race, Pop & Power.

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Filmed in 2020 during the summer of Black Lives Matter activism following the death of George Floyd, the documentary has Leigh-Anne talking about her own personal journey, and how her celebrity status means she is in a more privileged position than others. The documentary follows her as she learns how she can use that privilege to combat the racism she sees in society around her.

Leigh-Anne: Race, Pop & Power release date

The one hour documentary will stream via BBC Three from 6am on Thursday, 13th May and will also air on BBC One at 10pm on the same day.

What is Leigh-Anne: Race, Pop & Power about?

Race, Pop & Power is about Leigh-Anne Pinnock’s experiences of racism, and includes behind-the-scenes access to Little Mix – now a trio following Jesy Nelson’s departure last December – as well as footage of Leigh-Anne at home with her fiancé, footballer Andre Gray.

“The majority of the film is me talking about my experiences, being the darkest member of my band in my very white pop world,” she said to The Guardian in an interview earlier this month. “I really wanted people to see that just because I’m successful, it doesn’t mean I’m not going to be affected by racism.”

In the film, she also talks about race, unconscious bias, racial stereotyping and colourism with her parents, and debates racism in music with a group of Black and mixed-race pop stars including Alexandra Burke, NAO, Raye and Sugababes star Keisha Buchanan. They all reveal their own, often shocking, experiences in the music industry, while MP Dawn Butler, who has also suffered racial abuse in her career, gives Leigh-Anne advice on how to handle the backlash she receives.

What has Leigh-Anne said about the documentary?

When the documentary was announced in August last year, Leigh-Anne said: “I want to make this film because I have always been passionate about rights for Black people. Conversations surrounding racism and colourism 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.”

Is there a trailer?

There is no trailer as yet, but we'll update this page as soon as there is one.

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Leigh-Anne: Race, Pop & Power will air on the BBC from 13th May. See what else is on with our TV Guide. Also visit our dedicated Documentaries hub for more news.

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