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.

Episode 4 – Anna Maxwell Martin

Anna Maxwell Martin introduced herself as an actor, advocate and mum. She talked openly about her life, including her phobia of sandwiches. When someone asked if she could eat a roll or bap, she said yes, as long as it was plain.

There were lots of emotional moments in the interview. One audience member, Julie, asked Anna about helping her children cope after losing their dad, as Julie had recently lost her own father. Anna became emotional and gave Julie a hug and said she hasn’t always got this right, she spoke very honestly about grief. She said loss has been “f@@@ing hard” but that it makes her want to “smash the doors off life.” There was a lot of kindness and support in the room, with other people sharing their experiences of grief.

The show also had many funny moments. Anna joked about shoplifting nappies when she was a tired new mum, and admitted she has a crush on Dec from Ant and Dec. There was even a random conversation about “fart tennis.”

Anna also spoke about important topics like neurodiversity and labels, saying she could be neurodivergent herself but hasn’t looked to label it as she doesn’t feel like she needs to. She said she think labels can help people to get support when it effects their everyday life. It was an important issue to talk about, I would have liked to hear more of her take on the policy around this.

Overall the episode was emotional, funny and full of honesty.

Episode 5 – Aitch

One person asked, “Why do people treat us like we don’t understand?” Aitch said most people are not trying to be nasty, they just do not know how to handle things that make them uncomfortable or seem different to them.

Another audience member asked him if he would talk about men the same way he talks about women in some of his rap lyrics. He admitted there are things he said as a young rapper that he would not say now. He said at the time he thought that was what people expected from him, but it was not really what he believed. I thought he answered the difficult question well, even though there was a lot of swearing, which I did not like.

Aitch also spoke about his sister, who has Down syndrome. He said someone once said something bad about her and he reacted violently, although he said he does not condone violence.

One question about overthinking and feeling like a burden made both Aitch and the interviewer emotional. It made me emotional too because I have had difficult times in my own life. The episode showed a thoughtful and caring side to him.

One of the interviewers gave him a present at the end they had made and he looked very touched by it.

Episode 6 – Rylan Clark

Rylan Clark was one of the most moving and enjoyable episodes of the series. From the moment he arrived, Rylan came across as warm, funny and completely himself. He joked about being nervous about what questions might be asked, which immediately helped create a relaxed atmosphere.

What stood out most was how open and honest Rylan was throughout the programme. He spoke candidly about difficult periods in his life, including his affair, his mental health, his family relationships and being a gay man. He answered questions thoughtfully and never seemed afraid to tackle challenging topics. The discussions felt genuine and revealed much more about him than many traditional celebrity interviews.

There were also plenty of lighter moments. Rylan chatted about television, make-up, relationships and reality shows, often responding with humour while still giving meaningful answers. He was kind to the questioners, making people feel valued and respected.

As the programme went on, there was a real sense of connection in the room. It felt less like an interview and more like a conversation between friends. The emotional moments, particularly towards the end, were powerful and heartfelt. The closing musical section was full of joy, with lots of singing, laughter and emotion.

Overall, this was a beautiful episode and one of the best in the series. It showed the value of giving neurodivergent and learning-disabled people the chance to ask honest questions and have meaningful conversations. Thank you to ITV for making The Assembly happen.

Episode 7 – The ‘Unseen episode’

The unseen episode of The Assembly was a brilliant way to round off the series. Looking back at all the guests from Series 2, it showed just how many great questions and memorable moments did not make it into the main programmes.

One of the highlights was seeing celebrities respond to the kind of questions that would rarely be asked in a traditional interview. Stephen Fry was asked, “What was your first night in jail like?” and answered with the same honesty and openness that made his full episode so memorable. Another funny moment came when he was asked, “Are you a tea leaf?”, leading to plenty of laughter.

Lenny Henry also featured in some entertaining exchanges. When asked about his favourite sporting achievement, a questioner quickly followed up with, “What other achievement?”, creating a humorous moment that showed the confidence and wit of the interviewers. Rylan Clark joined in the fun too, encouraging one questioner to perform their best “Get out of my pub!” impression from EastEnders, which earned a thumbs-up from him.

The episode felt like a collection of the best outtakes, and it must have been difficult for the production team to decide which questions to include in the main series. The programme showed why The Assembly works so well. As the reviewer noted, “nothing is off limits” when autistic, neurodivergent and learning-disabled people are given the chance to ask the questions.

The musical finale, with singing, dancing and the orchestra joining in, was a joyful way to end a remarkable series.

© 2026 Simon Cramp. All rights reserved.

You may not share excerpts with proper attribution and a link to the original content. Full reproduction is not permitted without permission.

The next episode of The Assembly will air on Friday the 17th April 2026 on ITV

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