[1] Hayward was born in Caversham, Berkshire, brought up near Romsey, Hampshire, and attended Bishop Wordsworth's School, Salisbury, from 1971 to 1978.
He has also been a contributor to BBC Radio 4's Last Word programme since 2017 and consultant on the Channel 5 series Secrets & Scandals of... (2022).
[6][7] It was described by the Far Eastern Economic Review as "an excellent introduction to abuses of power around the world"[8] and by Julian Petley (The Independent) as "a fascinating account of the changing nature of censorship on British television".
[9] Den Shewman, of the American film trade magazine Variety, wrote: "Anthony Hayward's excellent account of Pilger's work shows how [his] sensibility [to justice and injustice] has driven Pilger to create 50 British television documentaries over the last 30 years, programs that have changed public policy and saved lives… Pilger's professional life has been dedicated to exploring tragic situations, and Hayward stares unblinkingly into these horrors".
[17] In 2024, Hayward hosted the opening evening of the British Film Institute's month-long season Hidden Truths: John Pilger and the Power of Documentary, presenting an illustrated career overview, then chairing a panel discussion on the journalist and documentary-maker's legacy with Ken Loach, Richard Creasey, Victoria Brittain and Christopher Hird.