Workplace abuse, fear of speaking out and vanishing job security are pushing skilled workers out of the UK’s film and television sector, threatening the long-term sustainability of one of Britain’s key creative industries.
Mental health among freelance staff is deteriorating, according to new findings, with experts calling for systemic reform, independent oversight and stronger employer-led safeguards.
The warning follows a BBC report upholding 45 complaints against former MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace, and comes amid broader concerns about how toxic working environments are impacting staff across the TV and film industry, particularly those in precarious freelance roles.
The Mental Health Toll of Toxic Culture
A 2024 survey by the Film and TV Charity gathered responses from over 4,300 behind-the-scenes workers. It found that:
- 64% were considering leaving the industry due to mental health concerns
- 30% had experienced suicidal thoughts in the past 12 months
- 63% said their work had a negative effect on their mental health
- 30% reported feeling lonely, compared with a national average of 8%
Self-ratings of mental health are now at their lowest point since the charity began the annual Looking Glass survey five years ago.
Marcus Ryder, CEO of the Film and TV Charity, said: “Film and television is a billion-pound industry… and if we don’t fix this, the reality is that people will leave.”
The research found that those most at risk included freelancers, disabled workers, carers, neurodivergent individuals and people from the Black and Global Majority. These groups already face systemic barriers and were more likely to report feeling isolated or overlooked by senior decision-makers.
‘Massive Fear’ and Power Imbalances
Despite growing attention to workplace misconduct, a culture of silence persists, particularly among freelancers who rely on short-term contracts and informal networks to find work. Many fear being labelled as “difficult” or blacklisted if they speak out.
In the charity’s earlier 2024 survey, 41% of workers said they had experienced harassment or discrimination in the past year. Of those, more than half had not reported it, and only 16% said the situation improved after doing so. Alarmingly, 21% said it got worse.
“I can’t overstate how fearful people are about this. It really is a huge issue,” Philippa Childs, head of the broadcasting union Bectu, told the Guardian. “People with a bit of fame… they’re all powerful. People think: ‘I want to have work in the future, so I’ll just put up with this behaviour until it comes to the end of my contract and I can go away and recover.’”
The power imbalance is not limited to the entertainment world. Similar dynamics exist in other sectors with a heavy reliance on freelance, zero-hours or contract-based work, such as journalism, social care, hospitality and logistics, making this a cautionary tale for employers everywhere.
Positive Interventions Beginning to Show Impact
Not all the findings were bleak. There are early signs that targeted interventions can improve outcomes, especially where organisations take ownership of workplace culture and offer practical support.
One such tool is the Whole Picture Toolkit, a free resource developed by the Film and TV Charity to help improve mental health on productions. The 2024 survey found that:
- Only 12% of all respondents felt the industry was a mentally healthy place to work
- Among those who had worked on a production using the Toolkit, this figure more than doubled to 25%
- Reports of poor or very poor mental health dropped from 35% overall to 23% among those using the resource
Similarly, the Call It! app, co-founded by drama director Delyth Thomas, lets production teams log concerns anonymously and track behavioural patterns before they escalate. “You don’t want to get it to crunch time,” she said. “We want everyone in the industry to behave in such a way that it doesn’t damage people.”
The BBC has since pledged to only work with top talent who sign up to new anti-bullying standards developed by the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA). Culture secretary Lisa Nandy has signalled that other broadcasters may be compelled to follow suit.
Lessons for Employers Across Sectors
While the film and TV sector is facing a particularly acute mental health crisis, the lessons for employers in any industry are obvious:
- Create anonymous reporting pathways for bullying, discrimination or inappropriate behaviour
- Prioritise mental health on every project by embedding simple wellbeing tools from the start
- Support freelance and contract workers with fair terms, prompt payment and access to core benefits
- Ensure leadership models respectful behaviour, especially in environments where hierarchies or fame can skew power dynamics
- Collect regular feedback from all workers — not just permanent staff — and act on it visibly
Just 12% of all workers surveyed said they believed the industry was mentally healthy. Employers who want to retain talent in any sector must do better, and quickly.
A Sector at Breaking Point, and a Call to Act
Ryder acknowledged that while some improvement is visible, the sector is far from where it needs to be. “We should also recognise that culture change takes time, and acknowledge that… we have seen the dial shift in a positive direction,” he said.
But the fact remains that a large portion of the workforce is leaving, and many more are suffering in silence. With only 16% of those who report misconduct seeing improvement, there is little faith in current protections.
Workplace experts say employers must act not only to uphold values of dignity and fairness, but to protect the long-term health of industries that rely on skilled, creative and emotionally resilient people.