Summary
From wartime Liverpool slums to London's high society, the epic story of one of Britain's most prominent transgender women - model, dancer, and pioneer for transgender equality
The Extraordinary Life of April Ashley
- Season 1
Episode 1: The Extraordinary Life of April Ashley
Summary
Documentary about the transgender model, dancer and restaurateur, whose life took her from the slums of wartime Liverpool to the height of Knightsbridge society. In the late 1950s, April became a dancer in an infamous Parisian nightclub, before travelling to Casablanca to undergo pioneering gender reassignment surgery. Returning to Britain, she became a model for Vogue before being outed by a tabloid newspaper. From then on, her life was a rollercoaster involving celebrity friendships, a landmark divorce trial and an MBE for services to transgender equality
Review
There can’t be many lives more extraordinary than that of April Ashley. A true pioneer and trailblazer, Ashley was born George Jamieson in 1935 in Liverpool, and became one of the first people in Britain known to have gender reassignment surgery; a procedure carried out in Casablanca at a great personal cost, both financially and physically. In transitioning, she found herself having to navigate a world that plainly wasn’t ready for her; facing ineffable prejudice, abuse and derision.
However, driven by her remarkable strength of character, she went on to work as a model, appearing in Vogue, and also opened a restaurant in Knightsbridge where she rubbed shoulders with celebrities and high society. More pointedly, Ashley – who died in December aged 86 – paved the way for those who were to follow her: she campaigned to be legally recognised as female, and in 2012 received an MBE for services to transgender equality.
Although a preview of this one-off documentary wasn’t available, we’re promised contributors aplenty and a biography of a woman whose incredible story deserves to be more widely known.
How to watch
Next showing
There are no live broadcasts scheduled for this show. But it is available via the streaming provider below.
Streaming
Details
- Released on
- 2022-07-04
- Languages
- English
- Formats
- Colour
Credits
Crew
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Director | Jane Preston |
| Producer | Jane Preston |
| Producer | Joe Fell |
| Executive producer | Neil Crombie |
| Executive producer | Joe Evans |
All episodes
Episode 1
The Extraordinary Life of April Ashley
Summary
Documentary about the transgender model, dancer and restaurateur, whose life took her from the slums of wartime Liverpool to the height of Knightsbridge society. In the late 1950s, April became a dancer in an infamous Parisian nightclub, before travelling to Casablanca to undergo pioneering gender reassignment surgery. Returning to Britain, she became a model for Vogue before being outed by a tabloid newspaper. From then on, her life was a rollercoaster involving celebrity friendships, a landmark divorce trial and an MBE for services to transgender equalityReview
There can’t be many lives more extraordinary than that of April Ashley. A true pioneer and trailblazer, Ashley was born George Jamieson in 1935 in Liverpool, and became one of the first people in Britain known to have gender reassignment surgery; a procedure carried out in Casablanca at a great personal cost, both financially and physically. In transitioning, she found herself having to navigate a world that plainly wasn’t ready for her; facing ineffable prejudice, abuse and derision.
However, driven by her remarkable strength of character, she went on to work as a model, appearing in Vogue, and also opened a restaurant in Knightsbridge where she rubbed shoulders with celebrities and high society. More pointedly, Ashley – who died in December aged 86 – paved the way for those who were to follow her: she campaigned to be legally recognised as female, and in 2012 received an MBE for services to transgender equality.
Although a preview of this one-off documentary wasn’t available, we’re promised contributors aplenty and a biography of a woman whose incredible story deserves to be more widely known.
How to watch
Next showing
There are no live broadcasts scheduled for this show. But it is available via the streaming provider below.
Streaming
Details
- Released on
- 2022-07-04
- Languages
- English
- Formats
- Colour
Credits
Crew
role name Director Jane Preston Producer Jane Preston Producer Joe Fell Executive producer Neil Crombie Executive producer Joe Evans
How to watch
Next showing
There are no live broadcasts scheduled for this show. But it is available via the streaming provider below.
