Latest news with #RoseAylingEllis
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
TV tonight: Guy Martin has a great time exploding old bombs in Vietnam
9pm, Channel 4 'Xin chào! How we getting on boys? You all right?' Guy Martin has a great time bobbing around Hanoi – the starting point for his two-parter in Vietnam, to mark 50 years since the end of the war. He explores plenty of its communist history and explodes two leftover bombs, but there are also lighter times to be had at a pre-dawn public workout session for retirees and at a 'train street' where cafe-goers can touch a train passing through on the narrow track. Hollie Richardson 6.25pm, BBC One A stressed new father wants to take his kids out for a meal. But this is Morocco 100m years ago so drive-through is not an option. As this slick reboot of the immersive prehistoric series continues, Sobok the spinosaurus – a crocodile-snouted, sail-backed predator bigger than a T rex – strives to keep his hungry young family safe. Graeme Virtue 8.15pm, BBC One A new murder case in the upbeat comedy drama, and Timothy Spall is still having a ball as retired TV star John Chapel who teams up with super fan/detective Janie Mallowan (Gwyneth Keyworth). A woman dies on a hike in Wales, and the only thing anyone knows about her is that she was 'new to the walking group, too thin by half and had stubborn eyes'. HR 9pm, ITV1 A conflicted Alison (Rose Ayling-Ellis) uncovers Liam's particularly personal betrayal (surely, he's off the Christmas card list now?), forcing her into a high-stakes race against time to stop the gang's jewellery heist. Meanwhile, Braden's ruthlessness knows no bounds, leaving Alison to face the devastating consequences. The Pink Panther it ain't. Ali Catterall 10pm, Channel 4 'Your friends, your trauma – you, you, you!' As the TV bleakfest nears its final episode, June (Elisabeth Moss) and Moira (Samira Wiley) embark on an audacious undercover mission ahead of the planned Mayday attack. But tensions erupt as they clash over who has had it worse in tyrannical Gilead. Hannah J Davies 10pm, BBC Two The BBC is making a big fuss of Pulp this week, with a full concert at 10.45pm after they've played a couple of new songs for Jools in Alexandra Palace. Also on the lineup: snazzy Swedish rockers the Hives making a comeback, and emerging Milton Keynes neo-soul singer Nectar Woode. HR Mountainhead, 9pm, Sky Atlantic In Jesse Armstrong's squirmingly funny satire, four tech moguls gather at a retreat called Mountainhead (a wry nod to Ayn Rand's paean to individualism The Fountainhead). When the launch of a deep-fake tool by Cory Michael Smith's billionaire Venis plunges the world into financial and social meltdown, he and his alpha male peers – Jeff (Ramy Youssef), Randall (Steve Carell) and their host Souper (Jason Schwartzman) – insouciantly ponder exploiting this 'moment of creative destruction' and taking over the world. As in Succession, Armstrong has a keen eye for the supercilious world of the super-rich, where people are expendable and petty grievances can be dressed up as utopianism. Simon Wardell Inside Out, 3.30pm, BBC One Pete Docter's relentlessly inventive animation spins a touching yarn out of the competing emotions that swirl around a child's brain. Joy (a chipper Amy Poehler) is the controlling voice in the head of 11-year-old Riley. But when the girl and her parents move to a big city, San Francisco, the other feelings – Anger, Fear, Disgust, but principally Phyllis Smith's Sadness – come into play. An error in the handling of core emotions sends Joy and Sadness on a desperate quest into the weirder recesses of Riley's mind to save their charge in a bitter, sweet tearjerker. SW The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, 9pm, Great! Action Tommy Lee Jones always appears most at home on screen with a stetson, a horse and a noble purpose. For this rare 2005 foray into directing, he gave himself a plum role as Texas ranch foreman Pete, who is determined to honour the last wishes of his friend and colleague, illegal immigrant Melquiades (Julio Cedillo), shot dead by trigger-happy border patrolman Mike (Barry Pepper). A modern western with a social conscience and a dose of mordant wit, it also has time for those genre staples of self-sufficiency, friendship and loyalty. SW Men's One-Day Cricket: England v West Indies, 10.30am, Sky Sports Cricket The second ODI from Cardiff, with Harry Brook captaining his first series. The last match is on Tuesday at 12.30pm.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Strictly star reveals why Doctor Who role was ‘dream come true'
Rose Ayling-Ellis, the 'Strictly Come Dancing' champion, appeared in the third episode of the latest season of ' Doctor Who ', titled 'The Well'. Ayling-Ellis, who is deaf, collaborated with showrunner Russell T Davies to adapt her character, Aliss, who was not originally written as deaf. Speaking at the Hay Festival, Ayling-Ellis expressed her lifelong love for 'Doctor Who' and revealed how she 'teared up' when she saw the Tardis on set, describing it as a 'dream come true'. Ayling-Ellis highlighted the lack of funding for children's education in the deaf community, emphasising that hearing aids and cochlear implants are not substitutes for specialist support. The Hay Festival, in partnership with The Independent, is hosting The News Review, featuring discussions on current headlines with figures from various fields.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How Crime Series ‘Code of Silence,' Starring Rose Ayling-Ellis, Put Inclusion Front and Center
Crime drama Code of Silence, premiering on ITV and streamer ITVX in the U.K. on May 18 and on streaming service BritBox in the U.S. and Canada in July, breaks new ground in several ways. Not only does it star rising British actress Rose Ayling-Ellis, who has been tearing down walls left and right for years, in her first-ever lead role. And not only does her role as Alison, a smart and determined deaf woman who works in a police canteen and gets recruited to use her lip-reading skills in a covert operation, redefine how deaf characters can be featured on screen. More from The Hollywood Reporter David di Donatello Awards: Maura Delpero's War Drama 'Vermiglio' Wins Best Film What Happens to Hollywood When the U.S. Is No Longer the Good Guy? Turkish Mobile Gaming Studio Fuse Games Gets $7 Million in Funding But most important, Code of Silence is an example of a crime show targeting a broad audience that also provides representation for the deaf, disabled and neurodiverse communities, both in front of and behind the camera. As such, it is already being touted as a potential role model for inclusion and accessibility — and at a time when across the Atlantic, the White House has been cracking down on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Created and written by Catherine Moulton (Baptiste, Hijack), who drew on her own experiences with lip-reading and hearing loss, the detective show also features Kieron Moore (Vampire Academy, Masters of the Air, The Corps), Charlotte Ritchie (You, Ghosts) and Andrew Buchan (Black Doves, The Honourable Woman, Broadchurch). Code of Silence is executive produced by Bryony Arnold and Damien Timmer for ITV Studios' Mammoth Screen, alongside Robert Schildhouse and Stephen Nye for BritBox, as well as Ayling-Ellis and Moulton. Check out a trailer for the series here. The creative team saw the show as an opportunity to tell an exciting story with a deaf protagonist that allowed them to weave in and represent deaf people's experiences but without lecturing audiences. 'The fact that this is a deaf protagonist leading a show for a mainstream audience in such a compelling circumstance is just brilliant,' Arnold tells THR. 'It is a thriller and a relationship drama, but underneath that, we will hopefully be teaching the audience a little bit about deaf awareness and deaf culture.' Not that all deaf experiences are the same. 'Rose and I both have different experiences of deafness,' Moulton, who is partially deaf, tells THR. 'And we had a script head who is deaf, and we had deaf, disabled and neurodiverse (DDN) people throughout the crew. That just felt like a very different experience. The TV industry hasn't historically been great at being inclusive. And I just was really happy that we made this show in this way.' Arnold, who is a disabled wheelchair user, is a director of Deaf & Disabled People in TV (DDPTV), an organization made up of people who work in the TV industry helping to elevate offscreen deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent talent. 'From the very moment I came on board, everyone was very much in agreement on the principle, the ethos that we wanted to make it an inclusive show,' she says with pride. 'Of course, there is inclusion in the story, but we needed to be practicing that behind the camera as well. We wanted to make sure that we had a really diverse crew, including deaf, disabled, neurodiverse people. We said we want to have this inclusive practice and would love for people to hire at least one DDN person into each department, and everyone was so up for it, which was wonderful.' The result: 'Accessibility and inclusivity were at the heart of the show.' How did the team go about the hiring? 'We did social media shout-outs, which isn't the normal way of employing people, particularly in TV, but we got such an amazing response from it,' Arnold recalls. 'Over 1,000 people wanted to apply, which was slightly overwhelming.' Beyond staffing, Code of Silence also focused on how the set and shoots were set up. For example, the production employed an access coordinator. 'They were liaising with any member of the crew saying, 'Can I have some assistance here?' Because sometimes something really, really small can make a huge difference. So we made sure our production base was all accessible,' Arnold shares. 'Sometimes it is just someone needing a chair or needing taxis. And it was the first time that a dining bus has been made fully accessible on a show and my first time in the nearly 20 years I've been in this industry that I could sit with everyone on the dining bus because it was wheelchair-accessible. So that was nice.' The production truck was also accessible as were the facilities. 'With the toilets, we were making sure that when we went onto locations, there was access via ramps and all sorts of other things,' she explains. The experience is now being analyzed for possible broader industry lessons. 'The problem with the government at the moment is that they want more disabled people to get into work. Unfortunately, there are not the necessary support systems in place. There is the Access to Work (AtW) scheme, but it's incredibly challenging to navigate alone, and so we've been doing this pilot to help navigate that system in a simpler way,' explains Arnold. Code of Silence is part of a pilot for The TV Access Project alongside the BBC and Channel Four and ITV, which aimed to streamline the application process and 'hopefully get the funding in place for an individual's access requirements so they could fully do their jobs,' adds the executive producer. 'This could cover anything from British Sign Language interpreters, having the right equipment, help with transport, etc. As the current wait times for applications to be considered are a staggering 35 weeks, ITV helped to plug the financial gap whilst we waited for the application to be assessed, with the aim of AtW eventually reimbursing the costs. We've yet to find out the results, but quite a few members of our crew used the system, and hopefully, it will create a new pathway for people to quickly gain access to work and get the necessary support they require.' Since small things can make all the difference when it comes to making everyone feel at ease, the production team on Code of Silence even had a printed Facebook of sorts. 'We had a unit list which had everyone's photograph on it because the moment you walked onto a set, there are about 100 new faces,' Arnold highlights. 'For me, as a hearing person, I'm going, 'Oh my god, there are a lot of people here.' So that was just something so simple, but really, really effective for everybody.' Plus, there was an easy-read call sheet. 'A call sheet can be quite a thing,' lead director Diarmuid Goggins (Kin, Black Cab) tells THR. 'There's a lot of information. So this just brought out the most important facts if you just wanted a quick glance.' His take on this and other measures on set. 'It's about small things. I think sometimes people think inclusion is going to be this wholesale change and are scared of change and or things that are different,' he says. 'But you don't really need to do anything other than just be a little bit.' Deaf awareness was, of course, particularly important. 'What makes this show really different is that we wanted to ensure that everybody who was coming on board had deaf awareness training,' Arnold explains. People coming to a shoot could also immediately notice key differences. 'When you went on set, there were interpreters there and the British Sign Language monitors working with the actors on the scenes that were all in sign language,' Moulton recalls. 'That felt like a really important positive thing about the show.' How did the British Sign Language (BSL) monitor work? 'We had our BSL monitor on set with us, for example, in scenes with Fifi Garfield, who plays Alison's mother, to help basically make sure that, with consultation with Rose and the director, the phrasing was right,' says Arnold. Because words in spoken English don't necessarily translate to BSL, so making sure that all felt credible, and also making sure that there's consistency all the way through, was important.' The whole cast and crew even got to learn a sign of the day from Ayling-Ellis. 'The sign of the day was based on what happened that week,' the star explains. 'During Halloween week, I did a Halloween theme. A favorite there was 'vampire.' And then Christmas week, we did a Christmas theme.' And when the team went to a pub, she taught everyone the sign for 'pub.' The set also featured other nonverbal cues to make things easier. For example, it used colored signs on the cast trailers/dressing rooms and production trucks. 'On most productions, every single door sign is white with black lettering,' explains Arnold. 'But, by using colors, it meant that cast and crew with access requirements could see, 'That castmember has a pink sign,' or 'The men's toilet has a yellow sign' — they would know to head for that color, rather than look for the words or the name. These benefit cast and crew with visual impairments, who are neurodivergent or learning disabled. Simple changes that benefit everybody are important.' The stars of the show enjoyed the open arms, open minds approach permeating the Code of Silence production experience. 'I really found and felt on the set how inclusive it was,' Ritchie shares her experience. 'Sometimes, TV sets can be really a bit fast-paced, can get a bit impersonal, and you can brush past people in the morning and maybe not take the time to communicate and check in. And I felt that with this production, there was such an emphasis on really looking at people, really making sure that people understood, and that there was communication.' The actress would be happy to see more of this. 'I think that the more that's possible, the nicer the set feels and the more people are able to work in a way that feels expansive and just puts communication at the forefront,' she concludes. 'So I felt really grateful for that. And Rose did a really amazing job, because [she] didn't have to, but [she] did make so much space for everybody to do that. It was just beautiful and great. It's just an example of why inclusion is so important, because it just opens you up and opens up your mind.' Ayling-Ellis hopes that the opportunity to play her first lead role in Code of Silence can also help young deaf viewers. 'When I was younger, I didn't have anyone on TV [as a role model] at all,' she recalls. 'So how much of a difference could that make. What I love about TV is that you can live in the smallest town ever, where you know everyone and everyone's the same. But TV can kind of break through that and show you a different world. That is the power of TV.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise 'Yellowstone' and the Sprawling Dutton Family Tree, Explained
The Sun
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Code of Silence viewers say ‘chemistry is electric' between Rose Ayling-Ellis and her hunky co-star
CODE Of Silence fans have praised Rose-Ayling Ellis for her "electric chemistry" with hunky co-star, Kieron Moore. In the new ITV thriller, the former Eastenders star and Strictly champ plays Alison, a deaf canteen worker who is recruited by the Canterbury police to help them lip read in a case. 4 4 Soon she finds herself embroiled in the world of policing as the detectives race against time to stop a gang of criminals and their latest heist. Her lip-reading skills become essential to the team, who have her looking through CCTV in order to interpret what the gang are saying in order to gain the upper hand. But as she takes to the investigation, she finds herself drawn to Liam Barlow (Kieron Moore), one of the members of the gang with motivations of his own. As the series continues to play out on ITV1, fans are gripped by Liam and Alison's growing bond, and can't get enough of it. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), one fan wrote: "CodeofSilence The chemistry between #roseaylingellis & #kieronmoore is electric. "After watching the first 2 eps have had to binge watch the next 4 because I can't wait to see what happens next." "Love the chemistry between Alison and Liam loving #CodeOfSilence," said another. "#CodeOfSilence alison and liam the bad boy they are so cute together !," wrote a third, while a fourth said: "Boy that liam is a cutie. Next james bond !#CodeOfSilence" Those watching the show on ITV1 are only halfway through the gripping series, which also stars Charlotte Ritchie and Andrew Buchan in its all-star cast, others have already binged the show, which is available in full on ITVX. For those not in the know, it's safe to say that Alison quickly gets in over her head – with her life hanging in the balance. Rose Ayling-Ellis reveals milestone moment with mum in Signs for Change doc The show was also praised for its 'genius move' of having an ad break play out in silence – a nod to raise awareness to the themes of the show. All the adverts shown on screen either featured sign language or would be subtitled. Rose was also an executive producer on the show, and wanted to ensure a portrayal of a deaf person was done right. In an interview ahead of the show's release, Rose told ITV News it was "vital" that it was shown how difficult lip-reading can be, with Alison being seen struggling as her colleagues don't talk directly to her, leaving her unable to understand what they're saying. "There's too many myths around lip-reading," she said. "You think it's something that you just get and it's not." She went on to explain that lip-reading also means understanding body language, facial expressions, movement and response – all things that Alison needs in the show and they were determined to examine as the series played out. 4 4
The Guardian
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Sirens to Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning: the week in rave reviews
Netflix; full series available now Summed up in a sentence Two sisters get tangled up with a super-rich culty villain in a hugely addictive drama whose stellar cast includes Julianne Moore, Meghann Fahy and Milly our reviewer said 'Without ever losing its wit or bounce, Sirens becomes a study in family, class and all sorts of other power struggles, the endless possibilities for good and ill that wealth brings, and the legacies of childhood trauma. … You can see why it attracted actors of such high calibre.' Lucy Mangan Read the full review Channel 5; available now Summed up in a sentence A hugely fun reboot of a much-loved 00s life-swapping reality show – starting with a plummy London estate agent passing himself off as a Bolton our reviewer said 'Such a solid idea that it still has plenty of the old charm left to spare. In fact, it may work even better now, in the fractious 2020s, than it did in the optimistic glow of the early 00s.' Rebecca Nicholson Read the full review ITV1; full series on ITVX now Summed up in a sentence Rose Ayling-Ellis is a deaf canteen worker at a police station, pulled into an investigation when official lip readers aren't available to decipher surveillance footage. What our reviewer said 'There are plentiful details, grace notes really, that evoke the reality of life as a deaf person. It all gives a freshness, as well as an edifying aspect, to the underlying conventions. You can watch and learn – or at least newly appreciate an underacknowledged world – without being shortchanged on your entertainment at all. That's quite a triumph.' Lucy Mangan Read the full review Disney+; full series available nowSummed up in a sentence The Tooch goes on a giant love fest around his ancestral homeland – and as much of its cuisine as he can feasibly eat in five episodes of TV. What our reviewer said 'Tucci and his Tucciness work their magic yet again, even if it is mainly by pointing a camera at Italy, letting Italians speak for themselves and their priorities shine through. Tutta bella.' Lucy Mangan Read the full review Further reading 'It's all I think about': Stanley Tucci on love, grief and pasta Apple TV+; available now Summed up in a sentence: A swashbuckling period drama about Napoleon's maverick pastry chef – whose adopted sister was killed by the military leader. What our reviewer said 'It is about as understated as a 12-course tasting menu. But as it scoffs and seduces its way through the Napoleonic era, it's hard not to fall for the extravagant charms of the Bake Off: Extra Spice.' Rebecca Nicholson Read the full review In cinemas now Summed up in a sentence Tom Cruise's eighth and last M: adventure, as his maverick agent Ethan Hunt takes on the ultimate in AI evil. Our reviewer said: 'It is a wildly silly, wildly entertaining adventure which periodically gives us a greatest-hits flashback montage of the other seven films in the M:I canon – but we still get a brand new, box-fresh Tom-sprinting-along-the-street scene, without which it wouldn't be M:I.' Peter BradshawRead the full reviewFurther reading Show me the tummy! Tom Cruise doesn't need sleep, help or clothes in Mission: Impossible In cinemas now Summed up in a sentence Sombre but impressive Taiwanese feature debut about exploited migrant care workers, their patients and gangmasters. Our reviewer said: 'It evokes an almost Zen state of suffering and sadness – a feeling that penetrates the film's fabric like months of steady rain in a rural landscape.' Peter Bradshaw Read the full review In cinemas now Summed up in a sentence Documentary about Werner Herzog's operatic adventure filming Fitzcarraldo in the Peruvian jungle, a compelling portrait of an artist obsessed. Our reviewer said 'Amazingly, Herzog always looks in pretty good shape, considering what he's gone through, and put others through. His burden of dreams is borne with some style.' Peter Bradshaw Read the full review Further reading 'I am not that much in pursuit of happiness': Werner Herzog on beer, yoga and what he would ask God In cinemas now Summed up in a sentence Kate Winslet's daughter Mia Threapleton makes a breakthrough big-screen turn in Wes Anderson's enjoyable yet airless ensemble romp. Our reviewer said: 'It rattles amiably along in that savant-child style that Anderson has made his own, but is in danger of becoming a mannerism. It is always entertaining, and delivered with the usual conviction and force but with less of the romantic extravagance than we've seen before.' Peter Bradshaw Read the full review Rent or buy on multiple platforms Summed up in a sentence Building-block game franchise spin-off with full-throttle star turns from Jack Black and Jennifer Coolidge. Our reviewer said 'This comedy-fantasy takes aspects of the Minecraft world and uses them as building blocks in a rollicking adventure suitable for almost all ages, giving Jack Black and Jason Momoa carte blanche to wild out and be deeply silly. Your affection for and/or tolerance of this latter prospect will dictate to a large extent your enjoyment of this film.' Catherine Bray Read the full review Reviewed by Farrah Jarral In a sentence: Salvos of hope from one of the world's best known activist-authors. Our reviewer said 'Hope is no casual platitude here. Nor is it merely a more pleasant state of mind than despair. Rather, Solnit sees it as a more accurate mindset, since nobody is an oracle, and history is full of surprises.' Read the full review Further reading 'Protest shapes the world': Rebecca Solnit on the fight back against Trump Reviewed by Steven Poole In a sentence: What if AI is just another tech bubble? Our reviewer said 'Large language models like ChatGPT essentially work like fancy autocomplete and routinely make up citations to nonexistent sources.' Read the full review Reviewed by Suzanne Joinson In a sentence: A mother's reflections after the suicide of her two sons. Our reviewer said 'Things in Nature Merely Grow is by necessity profoundly sad, but in the act of sharing details of the 'abyss' she now inhabits, Li has created something both inclusive and humane.' Read the full review Reviewed by Xan Brooks In a sentence: A dazzling near-future fable about refugees with cameos from Spinoza, Hannah Arendt and the Chinese poet Du Fu. Our reviewer said 'This rich and beautiful novel is serious but playful; a study of limbo and stasis that nonetheless speaks of great movement and change.' Read the full review Reviewed by PD Smith In a sentence: This uplifting 2018 memoir, about a couple who embark on a long coastal walk after becoming homeless, has been made into a film starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs. Our reviewer said 'Their journey is filled with as many ups and downs as the undulating cliff-edge route. Yet the freedom of wild camping, swimming in the moonlit sea and surviving on fudge and pasties allows them to come to terms with their situation and learn to hope again.' Read the full review Further reading 'Nature was my safe place': Raynor Winn on homelessness and setting off on a 630-mile walk Out now Summed up in a sentence Pop's great retro-futurists return for their first album in 15 years, and while they pick up where they left off, these new songs are more timely than our reviewer said 'Offers a very strong example of Stereolab doing what they do … For all Sadier's cool detachment, there's a warmth and brightness to the sound and the yé-yé and easy listening-derived melodies.' Alexis Petridis Read the full review Out now Summed up in a sentence Scottish folk musician Josie Vallely set off on horseback across Argyll to collect the region's folk songs – and created an album full of fiddles, Gaelic sean-nós singing, and canntaireachd (the vocal mimicry of pipe music). What our reviewer said: 'Quinie's unfiltered, ripe singing voice resonates like a siren … Alive with ideas, this record holds the past like a cauldron, broiling bewitchingly.' Jude Rogers Read the full review Out now Summed up in a sentence The rock veterans' first LP in almost a decade was made amid two members being treated for cancer – and it's a spirited effort with an experimental our reviewer said 'Songs hurtle through electronic rock, ska, dub and even tinkling pianos as moods shift from urgent to ethereal … The album's sense of emotional investment and creative rejuvenation reaches a sublime apex with the closing track, Meltdown.' Dave Simpson Read the full review Out now Summed up in a sentence Yunchan Lim fronts the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Marin Alsop, in this rendition that won Lim, then just 18 years old, the 2022 Van Cliburn piano our reviewer said 'He is the real thing, a once-in-a-generation talent … What is immediately striking is the sheer confidence and poise of everything he does, and the overriding sense that there is never any doubt about the direction in which this majestic concerto should be taken.' Andrew Clements Read the full review OVO Hydro, Glasgow Summed up in a sentence The pop legend brings her Tension world tour to the UK, complete with radical reimaginings of her back catalogue that take in house, techno, and – on Confide in Me – a doom metal our reviewer said 'At the show's end, Kylie seems endearingly overwhelmed by the raucous audience response, but this belies supreme confidence: she knows she doesn't need extraneous bells and whistles to carry this bravura show.' Claire Biddles Read the full review
