It will tell the story of Alison Brooks, a 29-year-old deaf woman who works in the canteen of Kent and Canterbury police station.
It is her lip-reading skills that see her called in as an emergency lip reader for a “high-stakes police investigation”.
A synopsis for the show continues: “Recruited by DI James Marsh and DS Ashleigh Francis, Alison proves invaluable as she assists in surveilling a gang planning a major heist, while she also has to navigate her mother’s financial struggles, a broken relationship, and the ableist attitudes she encounters at work.”
Speaking previously about starring in the series, Ayling-Ellis, who has been deaf since birth and is a British Sign Language user, said she was “thrilled” to work on the show.
Speaking to RadioTimes, she added: “When I first read Catherine Moulton’s script it was obvious that her first-hand experiences and understanding has enabled her to write a truly authentic character and I knew I had to be a part of this project.”
The 30-year-old is best known for her role as Frankie Lewis in the BBC soap EastEnders.
She was the first deaf contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, a show she went on to win with Giovanni Pernice in 2021.
ITV’s Code of Silence full cast list
The cast list for ITV’s new drama Code of Silence is:
- Rose Ayling-Ellis – Alison Woods
- Kieron Moore – Liam Bayne
- Charlotte Ritchie – DS Ashleigh Francis
- Andrew Buchan – DI James Marsh
- Nathan Armarkwei Laryea – DC Ben Lawford
- Joe Absolom – Braden Moore
- Beth Goddard – Helen Redman
- Andrew Scarborough – Joseph Holhurst
- Fifi Garfield – Julie Woods
Is ITV’s Code of Silence based on a true story?
No, ITV’s new drama Code of Silence is not based on a true story.
However, the show has been created by Catherine Moulton, writer of Baptiste and Hijack, who ITV say “drew on her own experiences with lip-reading and hearing loss”.
They added: “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.”
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When will ITV’s Code of Silence be on TV?
The first episode of Code of Silence will premiere at 9pm on ITV1, STV, ITVX and STV Player on Sunday, May 18.
It is the first of what is a six-part series.
