The series, which will air on BBC Three and is available to stream on iPlayer now, is an oftentimes hilarious watch with an important message behind it, as we follow the five teenagers as they are forced to navigate their identities while feeling out-of-touch in a world of wealth they must now learn to survive in.<\/p>\n
Chatting exclusively to RadioTimes.com<\/a> about the series, the Boarders cast revealed why they think the six-parter is an important watch amid the comedy elements of it.<\/p>\n Jodie Campbell, who plays Leah in the series, said: \u201cI feel like it\u2019s an important watch because I feel like, especially showing the education system where institutionalised racism is really there, to depict that for people who haven\u2019t experienced it in a way that\u2019s not too \u2018in your face\u2019, it\u2019s not like it\u2019s preaching to you, it\u2019s more palatable.<\/p>\n \u201cBut it\u2019s still being very serious about the issues. It is something that [series creator] Daniel [Lawrence Taylor] put out with the intention that there is a bit of change, and you can do that with art. I feel like Boarders<\/span> is a piece of art that can make people aware so they can make these institutions change in the future, hopefully. Visibility is so important.\u201d<\/p>\n Starring as Jaheim in Boarders, Josh Tedeku also explained: \u201cI watched a podcast with Daniel Kaluuya and he said something that links to this. He was saying that in the art industry, being Black and experiencing some of the undertones of racism and stuff \u2013 when you say it to people that aren\u2019t Black, they\u2019re kind of like \u2018you\u2019re overthinking it\u2019. It\u2019s not real until they say \u2018I\u2019ve seen that\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like with this show coming out, people are going to be watching it and like \u2018Is this actually how it is?\u2019 and it\u2019s going to be a bit of a shock to the system and I feel like that\u2019s why everyone needs to watch it. It\u2019s so raw, so real and this can\u2019t go unwatched because that means all the experiences of all the people that have lived that life [are] just being pushed to the background again.\u201d<\/p> Similarly, Aruna Jalloh who stars as Femi, said: \u201cStories have a powerful thing of reflecting the society that we live in in an entertaining way. It can get you to question, it can get you to disagree. Either way, it gets you to discuss and interrogate within yourself whether you\u2019ve been a part of it, those experiences \u2013 any of the characters \u2013 and it will get you to ask questions. I think Boarders<\/span> does that, it gets you to question a system that is deeply rooted and it\u2019s lasted for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n The series follows the five teens as they\u2019re offered sixth form scholarships to St Gilbert\u2019s, one of the country\u2019s oldest and most prestigious schools, in an attempt to rehabilitate its image after a problematic video involving its students goes viral. Going from the London environment they\u2019re used to to one where they are othered instantly is dealt with in both an informative and comedic way, providing laughs but thoughtful insight into the experiences for many.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a subject matter that surprised the cast when reading the Boarders script for the first time, with Tedeku admitting: \u201cThe truth of it was great, I think that first draft when everybody read it, we all felt a connection to it. Me specifically to my character, having not gone through the exact experience, but I went to schools outside of London. So, being the minority and it being a majority white school, there was stuff in [the script] where I was like \u2018I never would\u2019ve thought this would\u2019ve been told in a show\u2019. I\u2019m glad somebody\u2019s doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n Speaking about their pride at leading the show as a cast of five, Sekou Diaby (who stars as Toby) told RadioTimes.com<\/strong>: \u201cObviously there\u2019s all the nerves and everything leading up but I feel mostly pride, I feel proud of what we\u2019ve achieved, what we\u2019ve done together. Weirdly, I don\u2019t feel out of place. I thought I would \u2026 but I don\u2019t feel out of place, I feel like it\u2019s only right that we played these roles and brought them to life. The way we\u2019ve done it is definitely authentic.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Myles Kamwendo, who stars as Omar, revealed: \u201cIt\u2019s an exciting time. This is an opportunity to give people an insight into these experiences and start conversations. It\u2019s nerve-wracking because this is your work, you\u2019re being vulnerable here. I\u2019m just looking forward to people seeing it.\u201d<\/p>\n Campbell also added: \u201cI feel really grateful that the creators and Daniel have trusted me specifically and all of us with it. It\u2019s an important message and something that I feel like people will enjoy, whether they relate to it specifically or they don\u2019t, I think even the whole premise of feeling out-of-place in a foreign environment is something that loads of people relate to.<\/p>\n \u201cThen with the added themes that, let\u2019s say people aren\u2019t as aware of, is just something that I can\u2019t wait for people to understand and to watch. Also, the balance \u2013 it\u2019s not a trauma watch but also doesn\u2019t make a joke out of serious themes.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Josh](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2024\/02\/Boarders-BBC-cast-9db8746.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"464660,Boarders\\"\/")
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