How British Sign Language is rewriting the script on screen

Yahoo

18-05-2025

When Strictly Come Dancing crowned Rose Ayling-Ellis as its 2021 winner, nearly 12 million viewers watched history being made. Her win marked a turning point in UK media, reshaping how Deaf culture and British Sign Language (BSL) are represented.
This year's Deaf Awareness Week (5–11 May 2025) themed, Beyond Silence, focussed on breaking down barriers for a fuller recognition of Deaf identity and influence. Now, as Ayling-Ellis prepares to star in ITV's Code of Silence (airing 18 May), she returns not just as an actor, but as a symbol of how BSL is changing what representation really means — on screen, on stage, and behind the scenes.
Has BSL moved from the margins of media to the heart of mainstream storytelling? Tobi St Clair, Director of Deaf Set — a consultancy agency that empowers Deaf actors — said Rose Ayling-Ellis' impact is undeniable.
"She brought BSL into people's living rooms and challenged what people think Deaf people can do," St Clair told Yahoo News UK. "It's incredibly rare to see that level of visibility."
But she cautions that one person's success doesn't equate to structural change across the industry.
"Rose's visibility started important conversations, but systemic barriers remain," said St Clair, "We still don't see meaningful change in access or opportunities for most Deaf creatives."
St Clair's connection to the industry is personal. Her mother, Jean St Clair, was the first British Deaf actress to perform in the West End, starring in Children of a Lesser God, her screen credits include Crown Court, the feature film The Banishing, and the recent short Coffee Morning Club.
'If she'd had the kind of visibility someone like Rose Ayling-Ellis has today, her path could have been very different. It's been incredible to see progress — Matty Gurney leading Reunion in BSL feels like a real shift. If Jean were starting out now, I've no doubt she'd be a star. The industry just wasn't ready to embrace sign language and Deaf talent in the way it is beginning to today.'
But representation is only part of the story.
There are approximately 151,000 BSL users in the UK, including 87,000 Deaf people who use it as their first language, according to the British Deaf Association.
For decades, BSL lacked legal status — but that changed with the British Sign Language Act 2022, which recognised BSL as an official language of the UK and compelled government departments to consider BSL accessibility in public services.
The long-awaited GCSE in British Sign Language is now delayed until at least 2028 — three years later than originally planned. The Department for Education had aimed for a 2025 rollout.
BSL interpretation is now standard on BBC and Channel 4's coverage of major events, from the Queen's funeral to Glastonbury.
Television has seen a rise in Deaf-led content and BSL-integrated storytelling. EastEnders introduced its first regular Deaf character (played by Ayling-Ellis) in 2020. CBBC's Magic Hands — a BSL poetry show — continues to win praise for blending accessibility with creativity. Meanwhile, the British Sign Language Broadcasting Trust (BSLBT) funds Deaf-led programming that reaches thousands of viewers, offering everything from dramas to documentaries created by and for the Deaf community.
Deaf performers are also calling for deeper inclusion on- and off-screen.
Actor Tianah Hodding, known for her BSL performances in Disney's The Little Mermaid and Encanto, told Yahoo: "I'd love to see multiple talented Deaf actors in mainstream cinema, red carpets, Hollywood and massive series."
"Deaf-aware and trained crew working alongside Deaf, speaking, and BSL-using roles. A romance story in both worlds of Deaf and hearing like One Day. Deaf BAME actors shining through and representing not just the Deaf community but all ethnic groups as a whole," said Hodding.
Ayling-Ellis' Strictly win wasn't just high-profile — it was transformative. Google searches for "British Sign Language" tripled the week of her silent dance tribute. Since then, BSL courses across the UK have seen surges in enrolment.
Actor Jayden Reid, a Deaf performer in Disney's The Little Mermaid and Encanto, and appeared in numerous commercials and music videos, told Yahoo: "The rise in roles and content by Deaf people over the last few years has impacted my confidence to charge headfirst and work for what I want… It's the joy in entertainment that I'd never want to let go of."
Reid adds that more opportunities are emerging, and while there's room for growth, "I'm always happy with the way things are going."
In interviews, Ayling-Ellis has emphasised that true inclusion means Deaf people shaping stories — not just appearing in them. In her upcoming ITV drama Code of Silence, where she plays a Deaf undercover officer, BSL is central to the plot redefining what Deaf-led storytelling can look like on prime time.
This impact isn't limited to screens — it's transforming how Deaf audiences experience live entertainment, too.
BSL has reshaped the live events landscape with British festivals embracing interpreters who don't just translate — they perform. Interpreters like Tara Asher have earned acclaim for turning music into powerful visual art. As Glastonbury's first BSL coordinator, Asher helped shift Deaf access from afterthought to creative centrepiece.
The 2023 BRIT Awards featured BSL interpretation for the first time. At the Edinburgh Fringe, more productions are now being created with integrated BSL from the start — not as an add-on, but as a creative foundation.
As the UK entertainment industry adapts to a more inclusive future, the success of BSL isn't measured by presence alone — but by power, authorship, and authenticity. The revolution is signed, not subtitled.
For St Clair, inclusion is deeply personal. She signed before she could speak and grew up watching her mother fight for visibility.
"It's getting better. There's more consultancy, more awareness. But until Deaf people are routinely in decision-making roles, we'll keep running into the same barriers." said St Clair.
Code of Silence starts on ITV1 on Monday 18, May and will stream on ITVX.