The Assembly is an interview show on ITV where well-known celebrities are questioned by a group of autistic and neurodivergent people and people with learning disabilities.
Last year Simon Cramp, Self-advocate, Campaigner and Lifetime Member of Learning Disability England, reviewed the first series.
Simon has started sharing his thoughts on the new series, which began airing on the 8th of April 2026.
Episode 1 – Stephen Fry
“Stephen greets everyone warmly and answers a range of very direct questions. Some are light-hearted, including questions about adverts he has done and things he has been paid to promote. Others are much more serious. He speaks openly about his past suicide attempts and about living with bipolar disorder, describing it like the weather because moods can change.
There are also questions about his Jewish identity, his Channel 4 Alternative Christmas Message, and his relationship with his younger husband. Stephen says that what matters most is love and that people should not worry about what others think.
There are some fun moments too, including when one of the interviewers sings and Stephen says he loves it. Throughout the programme there is a lot of respect between Stephen and the interviewers.
Overall, it is a powerful and moving episode, and at times it brought me to tears.”
Episode 2 – Nicola Sturgeon
“In the second episode of The Assembly, former First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon is interviewed by the panel. In this blog I won’t comment on Nicola’s politics, but will share my thoughts on the show itself.
The programme begins in a relaxed way, with friendly chatting, laughter and even some talk about fashion. The interviewers ask very direct questions about politics, including secret meetings and her views on other political leaders.
They also ask about more personal topics, such as her divorce and whether politicians receive special treatment. There are funny moments too, including joking about food and deep-fried Mars bars.
One of the most moving moments comes when Marcus reads a poem about his own experiences and gives it to Nicola Sturgeon. She hugs him and becomes emotional.
Later in the programme she talks about people she admires, including Alex Salmond. The conversation also turns to very personal and difficult subjects, including the loss of her unborn baby, which she speaks about honestly and emotionally.
Throughout the programme there is clear respect between Nicola Sturgeon and the interviewers. The show feels like a group conversation between people rather than a traditional interview, which makes it simple but very powerful to watch.”
Episode 3 – Sir Lenny Henry
At the start, Sir Lenny Henry is welcomed by the panel and the rules are explained by Shaun. I think Lenny feels nervous as he jokes ‘I haven’t done anything wrong – can I go soon?’. Straight away the questions are very direct and honest. People ask about his life, including when he got married and divorced. This makes the whole programme feel relaxed and natural.
The questions sometimes move quickly from one topic to another, which makes it feel spontaneous and real. They talk about lots of topics throughout, like where he lives, politics, his weight and even Michael Jackson.
One person asks him ‘how much do you feel like the weight of comic relief lies on your shoulders?’. Lennie said ‘ It’s not a weight, I just saw people struggling who looked like me and I wanted to do something.’ One big theme in the conversation is race, which is something Lenny Henry has spoken about a lot in his work.
Lenny jokes with the guy who knows loads of information ‘have you been injected with google? It’s fantastic that you know all this stuff!’. Later, they are talking about alcohol and Lenny says to him ‘it’s probably good that you don’t drink alcohol – you wouldn’t remember all these dates’. I think there was a good bond between him and that chap, he respected him a lot.
There are emotional moments like when Lenny Henry talks about his mum and how he lost her when he was on tour, the room became very quiet and respectful. The brilliant lady singer Jules then sings ‘lean on me’ beautifully during a musical break. It was very powerful and Lenny even joins in.
At the end there are hugs, tears and even some dancing. Lenny Henry thanks the group and says ‘It was an honour to be here today. You get asked questions you’d never get asked on the one show and you’re expected to answer them honestly – I hope I’ve done that.’
Overall, it was a beautiful, funny and moving programme.
The next episode of The Assembly will air on Friday the 17th April 2026 on ITV