In the heart of Nottinghamshire, as the millennium turned, a new voice rose to tell a story rarely seen on British television until now. BBC Three’s eight-part drama, "What It Feels Like for a Girl," based on the 2021 memoir by Paris Lees, unfolds the gritty, poignant, and often chaotic coming-of-age journey of Byron, a 15-year-old navigating gender identity, family turmoil, and the harsh realities of life in a working-class town.
Set against the backdrop of the early 2000s—a time marked by Nokia 3310s, MSN chat rooms, and the pulsating beat of "Kernkraft 400" by Zombie Nation—the series plunges viewers into a world where Byron, portrayed with remarkable depth by Ellis Howard, grapples with the complexities of being a transgender teenager in a place where understanding is scarce and hostility abundant.
Byron’s story begins on a bleak New Year’s Eve, alone in a council estate bedroom, escaping into video games while the world celebrates outside. Identifying initially as a boy, Byron’s inner world is a blend of sardonic wit and vulnerability, captured through a sharp voiceover that reveals a yearning for escape—much like their namesake, Lord Byron, who famously fled Nottinghamshire to roam Europe.
Yet Byron’s life is anything but easy. At school, they face brutal bullying, culminating in violent attacks under an underpass, and at home, their father Steve (played with chilling intensity by Michael Socha) embodies toxic masculinity, belittling Byron’s identity and aspirations. The tension reaches a boiling point in a gripping scene where Byron screams, "I would rather die than be like you," exposing the raw fracture in their family.
Amidst this turmoil, Byron finds solace in an unlikely refuge: the "Fallen Divas," a vibrant and chaotic group of trans and queer friends led by the charismatic Lady Die (Laquarn Lewis). This chosen family offers Byron a glimpse of acceptance and joy, a stark contrast to the neglect and violence that have defined their early years. Yet, even within this sanctuary, life is fraught with challenges.
Byron’s journey into sex work begins in the shadowy corners of public bathrooms, exchanging favors for five-pound notes—a grim necessity that escalates as they are drawn deeper into Nottingham’s nocturnal underworld. Their erstwhile boyfriend Max (Calam Lynch) acts as both lover and pimp, introducing Byron to more dangerous circles and wealthier clients. Later, bad-boy Liam (Jake Dunn), another sex worker, entangles Byron in a risky plan to rob a client at gunpoint, a decision that irrevocably alters their path.
Despite the darkness, "What It Feels Like for a Girl" refuses to paint Byron as a mere victim. The character is complex—clever, often arrogant, and unapologetically fierce. Their acerbic wit and drag queen-esque bravado make them both admirable and, at times, unlikeable, challenging viewers to confront the messy realities of identity and survival.
The series does not shy away from the intimate and often fraught aspects of Byron’s sexuality. Scenes oscillate between tender moments of love and the stark, sometimes violent, realities of sex work, portraying trans people as sexually desirable and multifaceted—a rarity in mainstream media. This honest depiction extends to relationships with family, particularly Byron’s grandmother, affectionately known as "Mommar Joe" (Hannah Walters), whose unconditional love provides a rare safe space.
Critics have lauded the show for its fearless storytelling. David Opie of Radio Times called it "the rare type of show that will save lives," emphasizing its timely defiance amid rising transphobic rhetoric and a recent UK Supreme Court ruling that narrowed the legal definition of "woman" and "sex." The drama’s release is both a bold statement and a beacon of hope in a cultural landscape where trans representation has sharply declined.
Carol Midgley of The Times praised the series as a "raw and funny coming-of-age drama," highlighting Ellis Howard’s poignant performance and the show’s deft balance of humor and heartbreak. The Guardian described it as "deeply disturbing and totally fearless TV," noting its unflinching exploration of a "partly misspent youth" and the moral ambiguity that permeates Byron’s world.
At its core, "What It Feels Like for a Girl" is not just a transgender narrative but a story about class, identity, and resilience. It examines how working-class roots intersect with sexuality and gender, often compounding the struggles faced by queer youth. The series captures the era’s cultural milieu with nostalgic nods to fashion and music, while also contextualizing the limited understanding of trans issues at the time—Byron’s innocent question, "What’s a transexual?" at a nightclub underscores this ignorance.
Importantly, the show does not offer a neat, linear coming-of-age tale. Instead, it presents a nuanced, sometimes uncomfortable portrait of a young person’s evolution, marked by self-destructive choices and moments of self-affirmation. Byron’s eventual transition to living openly as a trans woman, starting to dress in women’s clothes, wearing wigs, and applying to university, signals hope and new beginnings, though the journey is fraught with loss and hardship.
"What It Feels Like for a Girl" also serves as a cultural time capsule. Scenes referencing Nadia’s 2004 Big Brother win—the first trans woman to claim the public vote—prompt reflection on societal progress, or lack thereof, over the past two decades. The series implicitly questions whether acceptance has truly advanced or regressed, making Byron’s story all the more urgent.
The show’s release has not been without controversy. Groups like Sex Matters criticized the title as promoting "delusion," though the BBC clarified it was taken from both the memoir and the Madonna song released in 2000. Nonetheless, the drama’s existence on BBC Three, a platform known for youth-focused, boundary-pushing content, ensures it reaches an audience ready for its challenging themes.
For viewers interested in watching, "What It Feels Like for a Girl" premiered on June 3, 2025, airing weekly double episodes at 9 p.m. BST on BBC Three, with all eight episodes available for streaming on BBC iPlayer from 6 a.m. the same day. International release dates remain to be announced, though VPN users abroad can access the series via BBC iPlayer.
With a talented ensemble cast including Laura Haddock as Byron’s mother Lisa, Hannah Walters as Mommar Joe, Michael Socha as Steve, Laquarn Lewis as Lady Die, Hannah Jones as Sasha, Adam Ali as Dirty Damian, Alex Thomas-Smith as Sticky Nikki, Calam Lynch as Max, Jake Dunn as Liam, and Dickie Beau as Peter, the series brings to life a vivid, complex world that resonates far beyond its Nottinghamshire setting.
In a media landscape where trans stories are often sidelined or sanitized, "What It Feels Like for a Girl" stands out as a raw, unapologetic, and deeply human exploration of identity, love, and survival. It reminds us that beneath headlines and legal battles, the lived experiences of transgender individuals are rich, messy, and deserving of empathy and understanding.
