More Than a Milestone: Is Reality TV Finally Getting Disability Representation Right?

From Strictly Come Dancing to The Traitors, and with a Paralympian set to make history on I'm A Celeb this month, disabled contestants are becoming a more familiar sight on our television screens. But is the industry really changing, or is there still a long way to go?

For years, reality television has given us everything from unlikely romances and heated arguments to extraordinary sporting achievements and some truly unforgettable personalities. But when it comes to disability representation, the picture has historically been rather less colourful.

That does appear to be changing.

With Paralympian and television presenter Ade Adepitan reportedly preparing to make history as the first wheelchair user to enter the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! camp this year, disability representation on mainstream television is once again firmly in the spotlight.

It's a potentially significant moment for one of Britain's biggest entertainment programmes. But it also raises an important question: why has it taken so long for wheelchair users to be represented in a show that has welcomed all sorts of celebrities over the years?

And, more importantly, are reality TV producers finally getting better at showing disabled people as they really are?

Breaking down barriers, one contestant at a time

There have been some genuinely encouraging moments over the past few years, with several mainstream programmes making an effort to bring disabled contestants into the spotlight.

One of the most memorable examples came from Strictly Come Dancing, which has increasingly embraced a more diverse range of contestants.

In 2021, deaf actress Rose Ayling-Ellis became the first deaf contestant to take part in the competition, going on to lift the Glitterball Trophy with professional partner Giovanni Pernice.

Her appearance was particularly significant because it wasn't simply about having a deaf person on a Saturday night entertainment show. It was about demonstrating how the programme could adapt, including incorporating British Sign Language into performances and allowing audiences to experience music and dance from a different perspective.

The following years brought further milestones. Paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds took part in 2022, while comedian Chris McCausland made history in 2024 as the show's first blind contestant. He went on to win the competition alongside Dianne Buswell, proving that a visual impairment needn't prevent someone from competing at the highest level of a dance competition.

These appearances helped challenge assumptions about what disabled people can achieve, while also giving audiences the chance to get to know contestants for their personalities, humour and competitive spirit.

Love Island and the importance of everyday representation

Reality television isn't just about sporting challenges and competitions. Sometimes, its greatest contribution to representation comes from showing disabled people taking part in the same everyday experiences as everyone else.

Love Island has offered some interesting examples of this. In 2022, Tasha Ghouri became the show's first deaf contestant. Rather than making her disability the defining feature of her time in the villa, viewers got to know her as a confident, outspoken young woman navigating relationships, friendships and the usual reality TV drama.

Her appearance was an important step towards more natural representation, showing that disabled people should be included in programmes about dating, relationships and socialising, rather than only appearing in documentaries specifically about disability.

The 2023 winter series also featured Ron Hall, who is blind in one eye. Again, his sight loss was part of his story, but it wasn't the entirety of it.

These examples matter because representation shouldn't always come with a big announcement or a special episode. Sometimes the most powerful thing television can do is make disabled people a completely normal part of the cast.

The Traitors: Disability doesn't have to be the whole story

Another programme that deserves recognition is the BBC's The Traitors.

Across its four series, the show has featured contestants with a variety of disabilities and neurodivergent experiences, often without making these the central focus of their participation.

Season one winner Meryl Williams, who has dwarfism, and season two finalist Mollie Pearce, who has a limb difference, are two examples. More recently, season four has continued that approach, with contestants including Jessie Roux, who has a stammer.

What's particularly interesting about The Traitors is that contestants are allowed to be complicated, funny, strategic, suspicious and occasionally downright frustrating – just like everybody else.

That's important. Disabled people shouldn't always be presented as inspirational figures who overcome extraordinary odds, or as people whose stories revolve around their disability. They should be allowed to be villains, heroes, comedians, game players and everything in between.

Of course, there is still room for improvement. The physical nature of some of the challenges can create barriers for contestants with mobility impairments, and producers need to think creatively about how these can be adapted without excluding people before they've even had the opportunity to apply.

When television puts disabled people in the driving seat

One of the most interesting developments in recent years has been the arrival of programmes that put disabled people at the heart of the production, rather than simply featuring them as contestants.

A brilliant example is Channel 4's The Assembly, which brings together autistic, neurodivergent and/or learning-disabled interviewers to question well-known celebrities.

The format turns the traditional celebrity interview on its head, giving the interviewers the freedom to ask questions that might not appear in a conventional press interview.

Its success demonstrates something that television sometimes overlooks: disabled people aren't simply an audience who need to see themselves represented. They have talent, ideas, creativity and perspectives that can make programmes better.

There is also an important distinction between appearing on screen and having a genuine influence over how a programme is made. Having disabled people involved in production, editorial decisions and programme development can help ensure that representation feels authentic rather than tokenistic.

The BAFTA coverage of The Assembly highlighted the importance of involving disabled people throughout the production process, with the programme attracting considerable audience and industry attention.

What still needs to change?

Despite the progress, there are some significant gaps.

Firstly, representation remains inconsistent. A handful of high-profile contestants shouldn't be mistaken for an industry that has solved its inclusion problems.

Research from disability charity Sense in 2024 found that 39% of disabled people said they rarely or never saw the experiences of people like them represented in the media. Almost half (44%) wanted to see more disabled people on their screens.

That's a fairly clear indication that, while individual programmes are making progress, plenty of viewers are still waiting to see themselves reflected in mainstream entertainment.

There's also the question of which disabilities are represented.

Physical disabilities and visible differences have become more familiar to television audiences, but people with chronic illnesses, fluctuating conditions, learning disabilities and less visible impairments can still be overlooked.

Accessibility is another major consideration. It's not enough to invite a disabled contestant onto a programme and then expect them to fit into a format that hasn't been designed with them in mind.

Whether it's providing accessible accommodation, adapting challenges, making filming schedules more flexible or ensuring suitable facilities are available, these things need to be considered from the very beginning.

And perhaps most importantly, disabled people should be involved in making those decisions. Asking someone what they need is a much better starting point than making assumptions about what they can or can't do.

So, what could I'm A Celebrity do differently?

This brings us back to Ade Adepitan and his reported upcoming appearance in the Australian jungle.

A hugely respected Paralympian, broadcaster and disability advocate, Ade has spent decades challenging perceptions of disability. His potential involvement in I'm A Celebrity would be another important step, particularly if he becomes the programme's first wheelchair-using contestant.

There have been reports that ITV producers have been exploring adaptations to the camp to accommodate him, so it will be interesting to see how the programme approaches accessibility.

The Bushtucker Trials, camp arrangements and daily challenges are all designed to test contestants physically and mentally. But does every challenge need to be designed around the same physical abilities? Could different tasks offer alternative ways to participate, without taking away the competitive element?

There's also an opportunity to let Ade simply be Ade. His sporting achievements and disability advocacy are important parts of his life, but audiences should also get to see his sense of humour, his relationships with fellow campmates and how he handles the inevitable jungle disagreements.

Ultimately, the success of his appearance shouldn't be measured by how many trials he completes or how many barriers he overcomes. It should be about whether he's given the same opportunity as everyone else to be part of the experience.

A television landscape that's still evolving

The encouraging thing is that there are now more examples of disabled people taking part in mainstream entertainment than there were even a decade ago.

From Rose Ayling-Ellis and Chris McCausland on Strictly Come Dancing to Tasha Ghouri on Love Island and the inclusive casting of The Traitors, there are signs that producers are beginning to understand the value of representation.

Channel 4 has also introduced a Disability Code of Portrayal, setting out commitments to improve both the quality and quantity of disabled representation, including greater involvement from disabled people in editorial and production decisions.

But there's a difference between making occasional progress and creating lasting change.

We need more disabled contestants across more genres, more opportunities for disabled people behind the camera, and programmes that consider accessibility as part of their original design rather than an afterthought.

Most importantly, we need to move beyond the idea that every appearance by a disabled person on television has to be a landmark moment.

Because while those firsts are worth celebrating, the real goal should be a television industry where disabled people are included so naturally that their presence no longer needs explaining.

When Ade does make it into the jungle later this month, it could be another significant milestone. But hopefully, it will also be another step towards a future where the next wheelchair user doesn't have to make television history simply by being there.

Do you feel the disabled community is represented positively on TV nowadays?

• Yes - there's a lot of positive representation
• Yes - but there's still more to do
• There's some - but it could do a lot more
• No - there needs to be a lot more done