Naomi Campbell speaks for the first time about what it means to be black and British and joins other famous stars who were told to limit their ambitions due to their skin colour

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Imagine being told you were not good enough to be a teacher, you shouldn't become an astronaut or having to work twice as hard as every one else simply because the colour of your skin?

That's the shocking truth that famous faces including supermodel Naomi Campbell, actress Thandie Newton and bestselling author Malorie Blackman share, as they open up for the first time about their experiences of being black and British for a BBC documentary.

Naomi, who was discovered as a fresh-faced teen and has since become one of the most successful black females in the UK, says: 'I’m proud to be black I’ve never cared to be any other way. 

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Naomi Campbell and Thandie Newton are just some of the famous and influential faces that take part in the BBC's Black is the New Black

Best-selling author Malorie Blackman says she was told to lower her ambitions and consider a different profession

The supermodel says she is 'proud to be black' and committed herself to any challenge with '110 percent' and nothing less 

‘I wasn’t raised to do something 50/50. I worked in Topshop, I was the best sales assistant there ever was. Whatever I commit myself to doing, I am going to do it with 110 percent.' 

Supermodel Naomi was discovered by a model scout on the street

The 46-year-old beauty, who was the first black female model to appear on the US cover of Vogue in 1989 and has since amassed the most covers of the fashion bible worldwide, says that she never even considered modelling when she was younger and was surprised when she was scouted on the street.

‘I thought [the model scout] was talking to my girlfriends; blonde, long hair, blue eyes. I didn’t think she was talking to me, and she said "No, you". She gave me her card and I was like, "Okay, I will have to ask my mum".'

Unfortunately for Naomi it was a big fat no from her mother at the time, but it wasn't much longer before she took the world by storm modelling on the catwalks across the globe.

She adds about her own identity: ‘I am a human being, I never said I was perfect. I am a work in progress. It’s good for people to see it’s not always happy, happy, happy. 

'I don’t ever want people to see me that way, I am human, I break down, I cry, I have real blood. I am not always up, I am sometimes down, I am not depressive, but every day is not always a fantastic day but we have to make do and we have to be grateful for what we have.' 

Former Child Laureate Malorie explained about her own experience of fighting against the mould: ‘I went to my careers teacher and she went to me what do you,' , 'I was like "Okay I want to go to Goldsmiths and I want to do an English and drama degree and then I want to be a teacher".

‘And she looked at me and said "Black people don’t become teachers". And she said "Why don’t you become a secretary instead?"'

It's a similar story for other exceptional figures who have been drawn from the world of politics, business, culture, religion and science to face the camera and talk about their upbringing for BBC's Black is the New Black. 

Thandie is the daughter of a white Englishman and Zimbabwean, who came over from Africa to live with her father in Cornwall. Naomi says that she still a working progress

Westworld star Thandie, 46, is the daughter of her English white father and a Zimbabwean black mother.

Being accepted as mixed race through her career has been a success but also has come with some downfalls: 'It is incredible what has happened in the last 20-30 years. Incredible, the difference.

‘But one of the things in later years I questioned was how I had in my early career, I was the acceptable face of blackness. Which was something I couldn’t possibly have anticipated.' 

Beautifully shot by artist and director Simon Frederick, the line-up of influential individuals reveal their heartfelt stories and unfiltered opinions to paint a unique portrait of modern Britain’s past, present and future. 

The cast discuss overcoming the boundaries faced simply due to the colour of their skin and how they learned to ‘play the game’ in the predominantly white, working world, whilst maintaining the essence of their cultural heritage. 

The next episode of Black is the New Black is on BBC Two, Sunday at 10pm