A new YouGov poll found that nearly half the British public believes LGBTQ+ people and ethnic minorities are over-represented on TV. The survey, of 1,000 people found that 44 percent of the public believe LGBTQ+ representation on TV did not reflect an accurate view of the UK population. It also found that 45 percent of the public felt similarly about ethnic minorities, while only 26 percent thought they were under-represented.
Shows such as The Last of Us, The White Lotus, Heartstopper, and Euphoria have been huge hits in recent years, and all have been praised for their representation of LGBTQ+ people. The YouGov figures show a striking difference compared with surveys in other countries, with France finding that only 19 percent of its population believed ethnic minorities to be over-represented. The UK also has a higher percentage of citizens than Italy, France, Spain, Chile, and Australia who believe LGBTQ+ people are over-represented on TV screens. This is despite a study published by the LGBTQ+ advocacy group GLAAD in December 2022 finding media representation is still failing LGBTQ+ people. GLAAD found that only 20.8 percent of films published by the seven highest-grossing film studios in the world included LGBTQ+ characters.
