Britain’s little people with big dreams
Drag Queen Dwarf & Other Little Britons
Channel 5, 10pm OF the 66 million people living in the UK, 7,000 have dwarfism. There are more than 200 different types of the condition and 80 per cent of people with dwarfism are born to average-height parents as the result of a spontaneous mutation.
However, some forms of dwarfism can be passed on to children.
A person with dwarfism is typically under the height of 4ft 10in, but it is not just about height, other medical issues can arise such as spinal stenosis, hydrocephalus and arthritis.
Nevertheless, most little people lead fairly long and healthy lives and television has increased the public’s awareness of dwarfism.
Famous dwarfs include Jen Arnold, Kenny Baker, Billy Barty, Gary Coleman, Peter Dinklage, Amy Roloff, Shorty Rossi, Hervé Villechaize, and the UK’S most famous dwarf, Warwick Davis.
In addition to his acting career, in 1995, Davis co-founded the talent agency Willow Management with his father-in-law Peter Burroughs.
It specialises in representing actors under five feet (1.52 m) tall and many of Davis’s co-stars and fellow dwarf actors from the above films are represented by the agency.
Over 40 members of Willow Management were cast as goblins in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Davis is also a co-founder of the Reduced Height Theatre Company, which stages theatrical productions cast exclusively with short actors and using reduced height sets.
Their first production was See How They Run, touring the UK in 2014.
In 2015, the production was the subject of the BBC’S Warwick Davis’ Big Night as part of the Modern Times documentary series.
Finally, Tenable host Davis is a cofounder of Little People UK, a charity that provides support to people with dwarfism and their families.
With all this first-hand knowledge, Warwick is the perfect choice to narrate this observational and heartwarming documentary series which reveals what life is like for little people living in a world designed for averagesized people.
In tonight’s episode, we follow the ‘Little Britons’ chasing big dreams, confronting prejudice and taking on the world.
Louis Makepeace from Worcester, is 18 years old and stands at just 3ft 10in tall.
His dreams of becoming a chef were dashed when his local college allegedly denied him a place on a catering course due to his height.
But his story went viral and led to Louis being offered training in the cutthroat world of high-end dining.
We follow the budding chef during his work experience in a Michelin starred restaurant, and find out if he really has what it takes to succeed.
Mary Russell from London has big dreams of her own – she is just 4ft 1in, so recognises the daily problems little women face in buying clothes.
She has now decided to take matters into her own hands by becoming the UK’S very first fashion designer for people with dwarfism.
Finally, 30-year-old Jamie John from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, is 4ft 8in tall.
He is also known as ‘Miss DQ, the Diamond Diva’ – the UK’S only dwarf drag queen – and is on a mission to make it big at the Edinburgh Fringe.