The electrifying and true story of Paris Lees is brought to life in the new BBC Three drama What It Feels Like for a Girl, and everyone has been lapping it up without taking a breath. Binged it already? We don’t blame you.
From perfectly capturing the Northern spirit, to humanising the trans experience with working-class grit, the show is lauded amongst fans as a norm-shattering foray into the sometimes nostalgic, often dread-inducing world of the early Y2K era.
Our protagonist, Byron, played by Ellis Howard, goes on a queer-coming-of-age journey, filled with growing pains, romance, feuds and burgeoning tensions that are all too relatable and real for any queer kid who had to juggle who they knew they were with who they’re expected to be. You laugh, you cry. It’s a masterpiece.
But who are the cast behind the sexy, slightly dysfunctional group, The Fallen Divas? A chaotic (good) gang of kindred spirits who show Byron the vibrant underworld of drink, drugs and sex of Nottingham.
Meet Bryon, Lady Die (Laquarn Lewis), Sticky Nikki (Alex Thomas-Smith), Dirty Damian (Adam Ali) and Sasha (Hannah Jones) and find out what drew them to their roles as The Fallen Divas and their hopes for LGBTQIA+ futures.
Byron (Ellis Howard)
“The Divas are liberating, loud, anarchic and joyful; to Byron, they represent a passport to being who Byron wants to be,” Howard told the BBC.
The rising star hopes that the show gives a passport of liberation to queer youth, something they didn’t have while growing up. “I hope that this show can be a vessel for others in the same way it has been for me personally, playing Byron.” (Check out our recent interview with Ellis Howard here.)
Lady Die (Laquarn Lewis)
Characterised by her warm yet quick off the mark reads, Lady Die, played by Laquarn Lewis, captured a nation.
“Lady Die […] is all about boldness and confidence,” said Lewis. “She’s over-caring, loving, fun, wild and crazy! From the moment I read the script, I connected with her energy instantly.”
Lewis, who cops to being “loud and full of energy”, knew the moment the script was presented that the two had an undeniable likeness. “I could relate to her, as in some ways, she is caring and has a loving nature.”
Sticky Nikki (Alex Thomas-Smith)
“I love playing a character where you can shape her alongside the team, making it a beautiful collaboration where I could add elements of myself into her personality,” Alex Thomas-Smith said when asked what they loved about Sticky Nikki.
If you think Thomas-Smith is familiar, you’d be right. The former West End star featured in roles & Juliet (2021), Rent (2020), Dear Evan Hansen (2019) and Bat Out Of Hell (2018). That’s quite the roster!
Thomas-Smith continued of their character, “Sticky Nikki is a passionate and headstrong woman who deeply values her friends, relationships, and life. I loved all the characters in different ways.”
Dirty Damian (Adam Ali)
“You see firsthand what it’s like to be a kid trying to figure out who you are and have the world be against you,” said Adam Ali, who you may recognise from their character Kai Shariff on the BBC series Waterloo Road.
“The Fallen Divas are also a very tight-knit family, and they’re there for each other when things get hard,” they said.
Sasha (Hannah Jones)
“I just think she’s a great person, as much as she is a terrible person,” said Hannah Jones when asked what drew her to the role of Sasha, whom she describes as a “proud scouse”.
“There’s so much underlying love and misunderstanding of her personality, and she goes through so much trauma and strife in her life.”
The rest of the cast…
Calam Lynch as Max
What It Feels Like For a Girl also stars Calam Lynch (Bridgerton) as Max, Jake Dunn (The Ballad of Renegade Nell) as Liam, Dickie Beau (Bohemian Rhapsody) as Peter, Laura Haddock (Guardians of the Galaxy), as Lisa, Hannah Walters (Adolescence) as Mommar Joe and Michael Socha (Being Human) as Steve.
Additional cast includes Emma Shipp (Rivals), Sekou Diaby (Boarders), Laura Checkley (Dope Girls), Oliver Huntingdon (Happy Valley), Lorn Macdonald (Beats) and Rhys Connah (Happy Valley).
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