Who is Paris Lees? Meet the creator of What It Feels Like for a Girl

The series is based on the book of the same name which was released in 2021, and is a memoir of Lees's own experiences growing up. But who is Lees?

Read on for everything you need to know about the creator of What It Feels Like for a Girl, Paris Lees.

Who is Paris Lees?

Paris Lees is an author, journalist, presenter and campaigner, best known for her 2021 memoir What It Feels Like for a Girl, which she has now adapted into a BBC Three series.

She has previously written for publications including Gay Times, Diva, Vogue, The Independent, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, PinkNews and Vice, while she also founded the first British magazine aimed at the trans community, META.

She is also known for her radio and TV presenting, and was the first trans woman presenter on both BBC Radio 1 and Channel 4, while she was the first openly transgender panellist to appear on Question Time.

She has also produced documentaries including The Hate Debate and My Transgender Punk Rock Story.

How old is Paris Lees?

Paris Lees is 38 years old.

She was born on 28th July 1986.

What nationality is Paris Lees?

Paris Lees is English.

She was born and raised in Hucknall, in Nottinghamshire.

What has Paris Lees said about the adaptation of What It Feels Like for a Girl?

When asked what inspired her to adapt her memoir into a TV series, Lees said it had been "an honour and a privilege" to do so, and that "it has been my passion project, and it has truly become my life".

On casting Ellis Howard as Byron, the character inspired by Lees's own story, she said: "I’m thrilled that we cast Ellis as Byron. Early in the process, someone from production sent me Ellis’s headshot, and something about him stuck with me. He brought a certain naughtiness to the role, which shines through in the series.

"Byron is such a complex character, going from being a schoolboy to a trans woman and everything in between; it is a challenging role. Byron is the central character, but Byron is also based on me, so getting the casting right was crucial. For me, Ellis was the perfect choice!"

When asked what she hopes viewers will take away from the adaptation, Lees said: "It's a universal story that I hope people will enjoy. I hope that, as well as being very unique and a very specific story, that it is ultimately also received as a tale about growing up.

"Who can't identify with that feeling of being stuck when you are younger, trying to figure things out? It was important to show the journey of Byron, owning their sexuality and trying to discover their sexuality whilst figuring out their gender. What does that look like? What does that mean?

"The specificity of those experiences, I think, we have shown in a very unapologetic way. I also feel that class feeds into this series. This is a working-class story, and the themes and the sort of general energy and irreverence of the show is something I hope audiences are attracted to.

"This isn’t a cosy middle-class drama. There are plenty of those on television, this offers something different."

Is Paris Lees on Instagram?

She is - you can find Lees's Instagram page here - @paris.lees

Is Paris Lees on Twitter/X?

Yes, you can find Lees on X – @parislees.

What It Feels Like for a Girl is available to stream in full on BBC iPlayer now.

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