Bafta Fellowship winner Floella Benjamin's BBC children's TV past and suffering racist abuse

Baoness Floella Benjamin said she’s been “floating ever since” discovering she will receive the Bafta Fellowship at this year’s Bafta Television Awards.

The beloved children’s TV presenter is known to millions of Brits as the host of BBC children’s TV shows Play School and Play Away.

Now she’s set to be honoured for her “tireless support of children and young people” and “her unwavering championing of diversity”, Bafta chairwoman Sara Putt previously said.

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The 74-year-old was born in Trinidad before emigrating to the UK when she was 10-years-old as a Windrush child.

Having left school at 16 with the aim of becoming Britain’s first ever black woman bank manager, she changed direction and became an actress, presenter, writer, independent producer, working peer and an active advocate for the welfare, care and education of children throughout the world.

Floella became a household name through her appearances in the iconic children's programmes Playschool and PlayAway, dedicating 49 years of her life to stage, film, radio and television.

The author and charity campaigner was introduced to the House of Lords in 2010 and given the full title of Baroness Benjamin of Beckenham in the County of Kent after being nominated by the Liberal Democrats. She collected her damehood for her services to charity at Buckingham Palace in 2020.

Floella has chaired the Windrush commemoration committee and advocated for tax relief for children's TV in the House of Lords. Her 1995 memoir, Coming To England, was adapted into an award-winning TV film.

She has also been a strong supporter and campaigner for charities such as Barnardo's, Sickle Cell Society and