Jimmy Akingbola on Sorry, I Didn't Know: "Black history is everyone’s history"

Launching off the back of the Black Lives Matter protests four years ago, the series has gone from strength to strength, taking the comedians taking part and audiences tuning in on an eye-opening tour of Black history.

But it's important to know, this show isn't simply a "Black show", with host Jimmy Akingbola wanting it to be clear that it should be seen "as a show on its own".

In an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com, Akingbola explained further: "This is a comedic entertainment show about history and Black history, but it's watched by everyone.

"We feel very proud and yet we also feel we've only just scratched the surface. There are so many more heroes, inventors, iconic legends that are being treated as hidden figures and we want to dismiss that."

The new season features an an array of guest panellists that many will know and love from their illustrious careers, whether it be in television or through their comedy work and beyond.

Just some of the panellists this season include Adjoa Andoh, Nina Wadia, Munya Chawawa and Richard Blackwood to name a few, with Akingbola beaming with pride over the talent who step through the studio doors.

"I say we have the new school but there's also a lot of talent that have been in the business for many years that should have their own shows," he explained.

"I'm talking [about] people like Eddie Nestor, Curtis Walker, Adjoa Andoh."

Akingbola makes the interesting point that if Netflix weren't around, would Andoh "be getting her flowers in the UK" as she should have been prior to joining the cast of Bridgerton?

He continued: "I feel like our show is definitely banging the drum loud in this area, about honouring and trying to trip the dial. We've always as a production company [have] always wanted to be game changers and disruptors and do things in a different way.

"And again, I have to give props and thanks to ITV because they let us make Sorry, I Didn't Know in the way that we wanted to make it. We are unapologetically making this in our way. And I think you can tell that with the jokes, humour, music, [and] when you look at our crew sets, I feel like there needs to be more shows being made like ours 100 per cent."

There have been plenty of shows banging the drum for Black voices in the last few years and beyond, with Dreaming Whilst Black and Mr Loverman more recently on BBC One, but there is still a lot more work to be done.

Akingbola told RadioTimes.com that "the foot [has] slightly [come] off the pedal" in the UK.

"I think [there's] still more that can be done in terms of what is on our screens, who are telling the stories, who is behind the camera and in front of the camera," he said.

"It's unfortunate really because I feel like we should be further along, but I think with this journey, it's just going to take a while and we have to celebrate the wins."

He added: "The wins are Sorry, I Didn't Know, Dreaming Whilst Black. Not to forget Michaela Cole's moments and stuff like that. But also we need to be like, 'What's the next thing coming through and what does that look like?'"

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While making history with season 5 for Sorry, I Didn't Know, there is still plenty more that Akingbola wants to see come from the series – including a Christmas special!

"It's a show for everyone, Black history is everybody's history, no matter where you are in the world," Akingbola told RadioTimes.com.

He continued: "So when we made it and we looked up how many seasons there have been of Have I Got News For You, we were like, 'We want all those seasons!' So, I am very excited about coming back for season six [and this one].

"This season, Chizzy [Akudolu] hosted an episode, breaking up the format in some ways which we were inspired by these shows like QI and Have I Got News For You."

"I'm also excited about possibly Christmas specials and stuff like that and we've not touched the surface in terms of showing more historical heroes across our seasons," he said.

"But also we've not touched the size of anything in terms of having other guests. There are so many other guests that want to be on the show."

From the likes of Rio Ferdinand and Lewis Hamilton, to Stormzy and John Boyega, Akingbola has a very long list and for him, "we need to have at least 20 seasons by ITV to do that".

Akingbola will be reuniting with Akudolu and Eddie Kadi this season, with the host likening it to to "hanging out with your bestie" rather than work.

"It's so great to see those two being seen as the comedic geniuses that they are," he told RadioTimes.com.

He continued: "I think in some ways Sorry, I Didn't Know is a great launchpad for established artists that are probably not getting their flowers like they should.

"Since then, you've seen Judi Love go off and do what's she's doing. Chizzy went off to do Strictly and Eddie [did] Strictly last year, now he's doing his tour. And we've had Babatunde [Aléshé].

"So I feel like working with them two is a dream come true, but it also highlights that we are given a platform for them to show the UK [and] the world what they do."

Sorry, I Didn't Know airs on ITV1 and ITVX on Sundays nights.

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