Rose Ayling-Ellis is set to star in a ground-breaking lead role for the unique crime drama ‘Code of Silence‘, alongside Kieron Moore, Charlotte Ritchie and Andrew Buchan for ITV, as filming begins.
The drama is told through the point of view of Alison Brooks (Ayling-Ellis), a Deaf canteen worker. Alison is struggling to make ends meet, juggling two jobs, one in a police canteen and another in a local bar, while also doing her best to support her Deaf mum, Julie (Fifi Garfield).
It’s not long before Alison is pulled into a high-stakes police investigation when DS Ashleigh Francis (Ritchie) asks that she use her lip-reading skills to monitor a dangerous criminal gang. As her interpretation of their covert conversations becomes central to the investigation, Alison is plunged into an exhilarating new world. Her role quickly becomes key to unlocking the police case, but her feelings become complicated when she finds herself drawn to one of the suspects, Liam Bayne (Moore). Despite knowing the risks and the growing threat to her personal life, Alison can’t let go.
‘Code of Silence’ offers a fresh and distinctive perspective on the intersection of crime and communication delivering a gripping and emotional narrative that brings important representation for the Deaf community, together with the support of a diverse cast and crew from the deaf, disabled, and neurodiverse communities. Catherine Moulton (Baptiste, Then You Run, Hijack) wrote the unique and thrilling six-part crime drama, drawing on her own experiences with lip-reading and hearing loss to create this compelling series.
BAFTA ‘Breakthrough Brit’ Rose Ayling-Ellis MBE takes the lead role as Alison. The English actress, who has been deaf from birth, has starred in ‘Eastenders’, ‘Summer of Rockets’, and BBC thriller ‘Reunion’, along with recently popping up in new BBC dramedy ‘Ludwig’. She has also appeared on ‘Who Do You Think You Are’, won ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, and became the first deaf presenter of live sport for the Paralympics this year.
Joining Ayling-Ellis are Kieron Moore (Vampire Academy, Masters of the Air, The Corps) who plays suspect Liam Bayne, Charlotte Ritchie (Ghosts, You) as DS Ashleigh Francis, and Andrew Buchan (Broadchurch, The Honourable Woman) as DI James Marsh.
The cast also includes Nathan Armarkwei Laryea (The Witcher), Joe Absolom (Doc Martin, A Confession), Beth Goddard (The Serpent Queen, Manhunt), Andrew Scarborough (Emmerdale, Wolfblood), presenter Rolf Choutan who is making his acting debut, and Fifi Garfield (Coffee Morning Club, Deaf Funny).
ITV’s Director of Drama, Polly Hill, will oversee production of the series from the channel’s perspective. Bryony Arnold and Damien Timmer executive produce for Mammoth Screen, with Robert Schildhouse and Stephen Nye executive producing for BritBox, alongside Rose Ayling-Ellis and Catherine Moulton. Lead director is Diarmuid Goggins (Kin, Black Cab, Witness No. 3). Chanya Button (Dr Who, World on Fire, Vita & Virginia) directs the latter half of the series, with writers Will Truefitt and Benji Walters respectively writing episodes 3 & 4.
‘Code of Silence‘ does not yet have a premiere date but with air on ITV1 and ITVX in the UK in 2025. The drama will air on BritBox in the US and Canada. If you want to keep track of this or any other shows, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when it gets a UK premiere date.
