Ellie Simmonds documentary Should I Have Children? air date confirmed

The documentary, which airs on Tuesday 27th May at 9pm across ITV1 and ITVX, will follow Simmonds as she asks, "Should I have children and what would that look like?"

The synopsis continues: "For Ellie, this isn't just about what society thinks, but about her own questions, fears, dreams and her belief in equality for disabled people.

"Is she fully prepared to navigate a pregnancy? And what would it mean for a child of hers to be born disabled or non-disabled? Seen through Ellie’s eyes, this raw, intimate and revealing film tackles a subject that we’ve rarely seen on our screens.

"Powered by Ellie’s own quest, she explores the choices around prenatal testing, the implications of those decisions for parents and the evolving societal perceptions of disability over the past few decades.

"The film will show the impact of these decisions through Ellie’s eyes as she meets parents faced with life-changing choices. "

Throughout the documentary, Simmonds will meet with doctors, geneticists, cardiologists, midwives and counsellors who guide families who are given the often challenging decision that comes with a prenatal diagnosis of disability.

Ellie Simmonds said: "Now having the understanding of what my birth mother and so many others experienced 30 years ago when it came to disability and pregnancy, I want to see how things have changed for parents today.

"I also want to challenge some of the perceptions that exist today about children born with disabilities.

"It's a deeply personal subject to me, and I’m just so grateful to all those who have let me embark on what are deeply personal and emotional journeys of their own."

Meanwhile, Jo Clinton-Davis, controller of factual at ITV, added: "We're so pleased that Ellie is making this insightful and deeply personal film for us.

"Packed with emotional human narratives and layered with potent dilemmas, this is a film that will shed new light on a significant story of our times with the power both to move us and make us all think: 'What do we feel? What would we do?'"

Ellie Simmonds: Should I Have Children? airs on Tuesday 27th May at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.

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