We Are England

Kema Kay, star of I Daniel Blake, moved to Newcastle from Zambia aged three for his father's education. He calls the city home, but has always struggled with a sense of belonging. Despite Kema and his family entering the country legally, he faced years of delays to his immigration case, leaving him in limbo for most of his adult life. Kema is retracing his steps, talking to the people who impacted his life, his closest friends, his surrogate family and Ken Loach, the person who gave him his big break, to understand what made him the man he is today.

Observational comedian Jayde Adams has spent the last 20 years carving out a successful career in comedy for herself. Most of that has been in London, but now she is moving back home to Bristol, to the place that made her who she is. It's a chance to reconnect with old friends and family. It's also a chance to re-visit some of the emotional events that dominated her younger years, including the death of her older sister.

Actor, director, and writer Jassa Ahluwalia has mixed heritage. His father is Indian, and his mother is Anglo-Saxon. Jassa has white skin, and speaks fluent Punjabi. Jassa and his sister Ramanique spent a large amount of their childhood living with and next door to their paternal grandparents in Leicester, where they were deeply immersed in Punjabi culture. Jassa speaks fluent Punjabi, and has visited India several times.

Drag queen Bimini Bon Boulash rose to fame on series 2 of Rupaul's Drag Race UK. They didn't win the drag competition but the have since been walking the catwalk at London fashion week, publishing an autobiography, posing for high profile photo shoots and launching a music career. But their journey to success as an artist and LBGTQ+ icon has humble roots.

Growing up in Leeds shaped rapper Graft's music and after a rapid rise to fame, he was crowned the winner of BBC's The Rap Game. Now he has embarked on a new journey to fuse his music with his true identity. With a lifelong desire to know more about his family history, Graft is now on a mission to trace his ancestral roots whilst pursuing even further heights in his music career.

Livvy Haydock is known for documenting crime and interviewing violent criminals. In recent years she's tracked down kidnappers, drug smugglers and moped gangs robbing people on London's streets – to name a few. She's used to uncovering secrets, but for the first time she's turning the tables and sharing her own story – revealing where her fascination with crime began.