The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Youngster joins soap’s cast to sign lockdown broadcasts
A schoolgirl who started her own sign language academy has joined the cast of her favourite television show for a lockdown broadcast.
Layla Cooke, 14, signs on River City’s Storytime, where stars of the BBC Scotland soap read stories for children.
She has already appeared on their readings of Oscar Wilde’s The Selfish Giant and The Boy From Nowhere by Peter Mcdougall, and is continuing to record for the Youtube channel.
A fan of the show, Auchmuty High School pupil Layla is regularly in touch with the cast. Leah Macrae, who plays Ellie Mclean, invited her to help make their stories more inclusive.
Proud mum Suzy said: “Leah contacted Layla and asked if she would sign for the videos. Layla jumped at the chance to be on screen with her favourite cast.
“She watches River City all the time with her nana.”
Layla set up the LC Academy to raise awareness of British Sign Language and demonstrates popular songs in sign language on her social media feeds.
Her work has captured the attention of many celebrities, including singersongwriter Lewis Capaldi who she taught to sign Happy Birthday at a gig, and television presenter Gail Porter, who last week sent her a video of her signing the song Lean On Me after a lesson from Layla.
Layla records her Storytime videos in a studio in the summer house of her Windygates home and sends them to River City for editing.
Suzy said: “We just got an email from the River City people saying the feedback has been amazing, and it’s good for her to be part of that.
“She had just started new classes for her academy and that’s had to go on hold with lockdown.
“She is still looking for ways to raise the profile of BSL.
“When this came up she was delighted.”
Layla has also been asked to do work for national youth information service Young Scot and Fife College.