Code of Silence: Charlotte Ritchie Opens Up About Her New ITV Drama
Charlotte Ritchie, the former EastEnders actor and Strictly Come Dancing winner, has spoken out about her latest role in the upcoming ITV drama, Code of Silence. According to an exclusive interview with Radio Times, Ritchie plays Alison Brooks, a police canteen assistant who is recruited by a team of detectives for her exceptional lip-reading skills.
In the drama, Alison’s lip-reading skills are put to the test as she helps the detectives uncover crucial information from a notorious gang. The information is communicated via text on screen, but initially appears jumbled up, forcing both Alison and the viewers to wait for the reveal. Ritchie revealed that she enjoyed this aspect of the show, saying: "I think it’s really interesting to get the audience to have a taste of what it feels like to not be fully informed and to be slightly on the periphery of a conversation and not know the whole story straight away."
Ritchie also spoke about the authenticity of the show, which she believes is a hallmark of British television. She stated: "I think that’s something that the UK does really beautifully, these specific, quite authored, personal shows. We have had such an amazing legacy of people writing from experience and a specific vision." The show’s writer, Cat Phillips, drew from her own experiences to create the drama, which Ritchie appreciated, saying: "It just felt detailed, it felt true."
The drama also stars Rose Ayling-Ellis as Alison Brooks, a Deaf woman who uses lip-reading to communicate. Ayling-Ellis described lip-reading as "a puzzle" during a press Q&A, explaining that words can have the same lip pattern, making it difficult to decipher their meaning. She also discussed the challenges of portraying lip-reading on screen, saying: "So it’s like a balance of yes, we want to make it authentic, but at the same time, we are creating drama and we’re creating entertainment."
Ritchie also talked about the dynamic between her character, DS Ashleigh Francis, and Alison Brooks. She revealed that she enjoyed the tension between the two characters, saying: "I love that they’re both playing with this tension of what is too far." The show explores themes of representation, with Ritchie stating: "It was representation that felt needed. It’s such a groundbreaking show that obviously, it goes without saying, that it felt like a really great thing to be part of."
Code of Silence is set to air on ITV1 and ITVX from Sunday 18th May 2025. The show’s official synopsis reads: "Having spent years working in a police canteen and secretly observing conversations, her life takes an unexpected turn when her exceptional lip-reading skills catch the attention of DS Ashleigh Francis (Charlotte Ritchie) and DI James Marsh (Andrew Buchan)." The drama follows Alison as she is recruited for a covert operation and finds herself drawn into a world of crime, deception, and risk.
The show’s use of lip-reading as a plot device has been praised for its authenticity and innovation. According to Radio Times, the show is the first to depict lip-reading in this way, making it a groundbreaking drama that is sure to captivate audiences.
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