TV PRODUCTION, WIND RUSH
Sir Trevor Phillips
Since Winning the EMMA Award
Sir Trevor Phillips is a British Broadcaster, Writer and Former Politician who served as chair of the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) from 2003 until it merged into the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in 2007, where he became its founding chair until 2012. During his tenure, he played a key role in advancing racial equality and social cohesion, encouraging open discussions on race and integration. Trevor has also been a prominent media figure, presenting influential documentaries such as 2015’s “Things We Won’t Say About Race That Are True”, which sparked a national dialogue on race and identity.
Trevor has written extensive articles on race and social issues and contributed to major publications such as The Times and The Guardian. Trevor has gone on to host political analysis shows on Sky News, including The Great Debate and Trevor Phillips on Sunday. In these shows, he engages with leading political figures and explores key social issues. Sir Trevor Phillips’ work has shaped national conversations around race, identity, and social cohesion, making him one of the most influential voices in British public life. He is also currently a Vice President of the RTS.
Background (Before 1999)
Trevor Philips was born in Islington, London, with parents who emigrated from British Guiana, now known as Guyana, in 1950. Trevor spent his childhood partly in British Guiana and Wood Green, North London. As a result, he attended Wood Green County Grammar School and took his A-levels at Queen’s College in Georgetown, Guyana.
Trevor returned to England for his studies at Imperial College London, where he gained his BSc degree in Chemistry in 1975. Trevor started his career as a London Weekend Television (LWT) researcher, before becoming the Head of Current Affairs from 1992 to 1994. He produced and presented The London Programme for London Weekend Television and worked on various projects for the BBC and Channel 4.
Trevor set up a production company, Pepper Productions, and together with Mike Phillips, his brother who later became a crime writer, he wrote the documentary Windrush: The Irresistible Rise of Multi-racial Britain. Trevor won three Royal Television Society (RTS) awards, including Documentary Series of the Year for Windrush in 1999 after his EMMA recognition. That same year, he was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) and became the chair of the Greater London Authority, where he helped shape London’s governance.
