Sometimes, we get a very good feeling about a show before it’s even made it to our screens and when we heard about the BBC’s What It Feels Like for a Girl, we knew we’d stumbled upon something special. The brutally honest series, which unites stars of Happy Valley and Adolescence, is inspired by Paris Lees’ acclaimed 2021 memoir of the same name and tells an outstanding story of self-discovery that’s as heartbreaking as it is hilarious.
Described by the BBC as "a raw drama that explores escape, self-discovery and self-destruction, the series centres around Byron (played by Ellis Howard), a teen who’s bouncing between their mum’s, dad’s and Mammar Joe’s homes with a deep desire to escape. So begins a journey to Nottingham where they meet the Fallen Divas, liberating, loud, anarchic and joyful and, ultimately, a passport to being who Byron wants to be.
Ahead of the drama’s arrival on our screens this week, here’s everything you need to know about What It Feels Like for a Girl, including the cast, plot and how you can watch it.
What is What It Feels Like for a Girl about?
Set in the early 2000s, the coming-of-age drama is inspired by Paris Lees’ acclaimed 2021 memoir of the same name, which explores her difficult teenage years before she transitioned gender. The story is told through the eyes of Byron (Ellis Howard), a working-class teenager who escapes a small town for Nottingham and discovers a realm of drink, drugs, and a chaotic family of troublemakers known as the Fallen Divas, led by the East Midlands' premier podium-dancer-cum-hellraiser, Lady Die (Laquarn Lewis).
Byron is adopted into Lady Die’s gang of kindred spirits, which includes Sticky Nikki (Alex Thomas-Smith), Dirty Damian (Adam Ali) - and, meanwhile, an intense rivalry brews between Byron and the beautiful, acid-tongued Sasha (Hannah Jones). Between the the Fallen Divas, they beg, steal and skank their way on a rollercoaster ride of hedonism at the heart of the UK’s early 2000s club scene.
According to the official synopsis, “The party can't last though, and when Byron is seduced by bad-boy Liam (Jake Dunn), a shocking encounter occurs that will change life forever. Joyful, frank and packed with memorable characters, What It Feels Like for a Girl is a journey of love and danger, self-discovery and self-destruction. Because to find yourself sometimes you need to lose yourself...”
Paris Lees has shared more of an insight into what’s in store: "At its core, the story is inspired by my life and all my unique past experiences. Growing up, my friends and I were the only openly out young people in Nottingham," she says. "Even in the past decade, things have changed drastically. Back then, we were on the outskirts of society, and people thought we were too young to be transitioning. This is ultimately a coming-of-age story, and like many coming-of-age tales, it’s about the people we lose and gain along the way.”
Ellis Howard, who plays Byron, says his character "finds themself in this mad queer space with a crazy eclectic gang of friends. It's an experience I didn’t have growing up as queer, and it's one that I have found through filming and building a relationship with the cast. The Divas are liberating, loud, anarchic and joyful; to Byron, they represent a passport to being who Byron wants to be."
The series also stars The Capture’s Laura Haddock, who plays Bryon’s mother, Lisa, and, according to Laura, their relationship is under a lot of a strain. “Lisa and Byron’s relationship isn’t what it was, there is a lot of tension between them, and she is doing what she can to re-connect," she says. "She also feels like she’s done the hard bit bringing them up and she deserves to have a life now."
"Their relationship is really strained, she is struggling to understand Byron and accept who they want to be. This is the early 2000s in a working-class town in the north of England – it’s pretty much unheard of. Lisa doesn’t have the capacity at this time to understand. She tries to, but in her own way. Keeping up appearances mean a lot to Lisa, she is house proud, she works, she likes to look nice. This is a terrifying concept for her to digest as it threatens everything she has worked hard for - this ‘perfect’ image, or her version of it."
Who’s in the cast of What It Feels Like for a Girl about?
The cast of What It Feels Like for a Girl includes:
- Ellis Howard (Catherine the Great, Red Rose)
- Hannah Walters (Adolescence, A Thousand Blows)
- Laura Haddock (The Recruit, The Capture)
- Michael Socha (Showtrial, This is England)
- Laquarn Lewis (Jamie Johnson)
- Hannah Jones
- Adam Ali (Waterloo Road)
- Alex Thomas-Smith (Too Much)
- Calam Lynch (Miss Austen, Bridgerton)
- Jake Dunn (Renegade Nell)
- Dickie Beau (Bohemian Rhapsody)
- Emma Shipp (Rivals)
- Sekou Diaby (Boarders)
- Laura Checkley (Screw)
- Oliver Huntingdon (Sherwood)
- Lorn Macdonald (Bridgerton)
- Rhys Connah (Happy Valley)
- Fay Ripley (Cold Feet)
- Selina Mosinski
Paris Lees has praised the choice of cast, explaining: "This is a proudly working-class story, and it needed a cast who could bring it to life authentically. We've struck gold with these highly talented actors, some of whom are already familiar faces - and some who are about to be.
"The biggest challenge was always the lead role – we're following someone who’s going from, in the eyes of the outside world, a schoolboy, right up to a trans woman starting university, and all that's in between. The moment I saw Ellis, I recognised something in him - a cheekiness, a delicateness, a complexity - and knew he was the one. And he rose to the challenge, again and again. The chemistry between El, Hannah, Laquarn and the rest of the Fallen Divas is something you can only dream of in drama."
Is there a trailer for What It Feels Like for a Girl?
Yes, you can watch the trailer for What It Feels Like for a Girl below:
Is Paris Lees’ memoir any good?
Yes – it’s a beautifully written memoir that deserves all the praise it’s received and more. Critics have called it "fresh, original, heartbreaking", "a must read" and described it as "unlike anything I have ever read".
How can I watch What It Feels Like for a Girl?
What It Feels Like for a Girl will air on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer on Tuesday 3rd June. We implore you to tune in.
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