BAFTA Award-Nominated Drama "What It Feels Like for a Girl" Heads to the U.S. on Prime Video Starting This Pride Month

ITV Studios and Hera Pictures announce today that acclaimed drama What It Feels Like for a Girl premieres in the United States on Prime Video today, 1 June, launching at the start of Pride Month in a deal brokered by Katie Buchanan and Rob Kaplan at ITV Studios.

Produced by the multi-award-winning Hera Pictures (Hamnet, Mary & George) for BBC and BBC iPlayer, What It Feels Like for a Girl is made in association with ITV Studios, who also handle international distribution. The eight-part series has quickly become one of the UK's most celebrated new dramas, earning widespread critical acclaim and significant industry awards recognition for its fearless storytelling, emotional honesty and ground-breaking portrayal of queer working-class life in early 2000s Britain.

Adapted from the memoir by journalist, author and cultural trailblazer Paris Lees, What It Feels Like for a Girl follows teenager Byron (Ellis Howard) as they escape a former mining town and are swept into its underground club scene, discovering identity, friendship and survival among a chaotic chosen family known as the Fallen Divas.

The eight-part series stars Ellis Howard (Catherine the Great, The Rachel Incident) as Byron, with Hannah Walters (Adolescence, A Thousand Blows, Boiling Point), Laura Haddock (The Recruit, The Capture) and Michael Socha (Showtrial, This is England). Also joining the cast are Laquarn Lewis (Jamie Johnson), Hannah Jones, Adam Ali (Waterloo Road), Alex Thomas-Smith (Too Much), Calam Lynch (Sweetpea, Miss Austen, Bridgerton), Jake Dunn (The Ballard of Renegade Nell), and Dickie Beau (Bohemian Rhapsody).

Directed by Brian Welsh (Black Mirror, The Return of Stanley Atwell) alongside Ng Choon Ping (Femme) and Marie Kristiansen (Delete Me), the drama combines anarchic humour, heartbreak and razor-sharp social observation against a euphoric Y2K soundtrack and club culture backdrop.

The series has already emerged as a major critical and awards success. At the 2026 BAFTA Television Awards, What It Feels Like for a Girl received nominations for Best Limited Series, Memorable Moment and Lead Actor - Drama for Ellis Howard, alongside BAFTA Craft Awards nominations for writer Paris Lees and Casting for Nathan Toth.

The show was further recognised at the 2026 RTS Programme Awards, earning nominations for Limited Series and Breakthrough Award for Ellis Howard, while director Brian Welsh, editor Sam White, Casting Director Nathan Toth, Production Designer Gem Randall, Costume Designer Nirage Mirage and cinematographer Si Bell BSC all received RTS Craft & Design Award nominations.

Internationally, the series won Best Fiction Series, Best Ensemble Cast and the City of Cádiz Award at the South Series International Festival 2025, and also received a Drama nomination at the 2025 Rose d'Or Awards and the upcoming Banff Rockie Awards.

Critics across the UK have hailed the show as a landmark television event. GQ hailed it as "'the most interesting thing the BBC has made since I May Destroy You", Digital Spy called it "the most important LGBTQ+ series since It's A Sin," while The Guardian praised it as "totally fearless TV." i-D described it as "beautiful in its strange and singular nature," and Empire called it "one of the most exciting and unpredictable dramas in years."

Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, previously described the series as "funny, heartbreaking and life-affirming," while Paris Lees said the adaptation captures "the joy, chaos and resilience" of the community and era that shaped her life.

The series is a classic coming-of-age story and a 'fish out of water' tale about someone from a small town who, despite not fitting in, ventures into the world to discover their tribe. It explores universal themes that resonate with us all, from the heartbreak of first love to the struggle of finding one's place. Byron makes decisions that are at times destructive or challenging, yet the character's charisma and relatability ensure the audience remains firmly in their corner.

Liza Marshall, Founder of Hera Pictures and Executive Producer, said: "We are immensely proud of What It Feels Like for a Girl. From its glowing critical reception to its significant awards recognition, the series resonated with UK audiences in a way that felt truly profound. Our exceptional cast and crew have delivered a piece of television that is fearless, funny, and deeply human. We are delighted that the show has found its U.S. home, and we look forward to American viewers meeting Byron and the Fallen Divas on this unforgettable journey."

The U.S. launch marks the latest international deal for ITV Studios, which is handling global distribution for the series.

What It Feels Like for a Girl premieres today, 1 June, on Prime Video in the U.S. starting this Pride Month and is included with a Prime membership.