David Olusoga on his extraordinary mum and The Celebrity Traitors
The TV historian on overcoming a difficult childhood and his stint on reality TV.
The TV historian on overcoming a difficult childhood and his stint on reality TV.
What were you like as a child?
“I had quite a difficult childhood. I was shy and thoughtful, but also very dyslexic, so I struggled at school. As anyone of my generation who is black or Asian knows, the 1970s and 1980s were not the best decades to be growing up in this country. I was one of only a few non-white people on my Gateshead council estate, and there was huge racism and abuse. That’s why we should hold those decades up as a cautionary tale of what happens when those sorts of politics become widespread.”
"Undoubtedly, my extraordinary mother. I went to schools where there was no expectation of success – the schools I attended would be shut down today. But my mother pushed her children hard to make up for the schools' failings.
"I passed my A levels because she told me to do all the past papers, so for weeks at a time I went to the library and did two papers a day. By the time I sat my exams, I’d done 20 years’ worth for each subject. My siblings and I got to university – in my case, the University of Liverpool – despite our schools not because of them. We’re absolutely products of our mother’s determination for her children."
What would you say to your 18-year-old self today?
"That’s quite a tricky one because it suggests that things were inevitable, when nothing in life is. One of the things you realise on becoming a parent is that people have to learn things for themselves. If I could sit across from my 18-year-old self, I don’t think there’s anything I could say other than, ‘You’ve got to learn it yourself’.”
“I’ve been asked to do a lot of those shows over the years, and Traitors is the only one I would ever have accepted.
“It was unusual in featuring genuine household names, and the idea of spending time with people I’ve watched and respected for years made it hard to see the downside.
“We have all kept in touch on WhatsApp and met for dinner before Christmas.”
“With the help of my mother, getting myself away from that council estate and those expectations of failure.”
You’ve become a prolific author and broadcaster. Was that always your goal?
“I only ever wanted to do history, so I very deliberately made myself do it in as many ways as possible, as early as possible. I started my career as a researcher before moving on to screen, and while I thoroughly enjoy presenting, I’m always happy to explore new ways of delivering history through different mediums. I’ve tried to see change and new technologies as opportunities rather than threats.”
You’re about to go on tour with your live show, A Gun Through Time. Does it feel especially relevant given the state of the world today?
“The depressing thing is that I thought it was relevant when I wrote it nine months ago – it’s now frighteningly even more so. Despite the title, it isn’t about military history or battles – it’s a social history of the inventors of guns, their impact on societies, and gun ownership around the world.
“It’s also about the fact that we’re the luckiest generation ever: the first since the mass production of firearms not to routinely come into contact with them. In Britain, especially, guns aren’t part of daily life.”
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