CBBC launches series starring transgender actress in lead role

‘Anybody who doesn’t accept that Hannah is a girl must by their very nature be really nasty and discriminatory’

THE BBC has launched a new drama on its children’s television channel which stars a transgender actress in the lead role for the first time.

First Day, which first aired on CBBC on Wednesday, tells the story about a 12-year-old transgender’s girl’s move to secondary school.

The programme stars Australian teenager Evie Macdonald, who portrays Hannah Bradford, a pupil who is seeking a fresh start after being hounded by bullies. LGBT groups and charities have praised the show and its subject matter, claiming the drama will educate young adult audiences on transgender issues. The BBC said the show is age-appropriate, reflects children’s lives, and teaches them empathy.

However, the show has prompted a backlash from lobby groups. Kate Harris, of the LGB Alliance, told The Times: “It takes a fundamentally one-sided approach to a really complex issue. It’s asking children to accept that a boy who feels like a girl is in fact a girl. The way it’s presented is that anybody who doesn’t accept that Hannah is a girl must by their very nature be really mean, nasty and discriminatory against someone who belongs to a vulnerable minority.”

The four-part drama was first shown in Australian TV network ABC.

Hannah is targeted by a girl who knew her as a boy at primary school, and is banned from using the girls’ lavatories. In one episode, she is also barred from a friend’s sleepover.

A BBC spokesman said: “CBBC is proud to reflect all areas of children’s lives, including age-appropriate representation of the issues they may face whilst helping them develop empathy and kindness towards each other.”