For a new ITV documentary made with his son Joe

John Bishop is aiming to perform stand-up in British Sign Language for a new ITV documentary.

The comic is making the programme with his son Joe, who lost most of his hearing at the age of 15.

In Joe & John Bishop: Life After Deaf, the pair will also meet other deaf people to learn about ‘miscommunication and misunderstanding they’ve faced, but can also offer them alternative perspectives on what it means to be deaf’.

And they will learn BSL together, with the comic hoping to becoming proficient enough to do a gig.

He said: ‘Before we started this journey, we could never have imagined what an impact it would have on us as a family.

‘Joe and I are so grateful to the members of the deaf community who we’ve met this year, their generosity has changed our lives.’

The documentary, to be screened this autumn, is made by Bishop’s own production company Lola TV along with  South Shore.

The latter’s chief executive,  Andrew Mackenzie said. ‘This is an extraordinary and brave film for the Bishop family to make. They’ve opened up an incredibly personal and moving story as they take their first steps into the deaf community.’

Katie Rawcliffe, ITV’s head of  entertainment commissioning, added: ‘This documentary is an opportunity for viewers to see a completely different side to John and understand more about what life is like for the deaf community and those around them.

‘We’re very grateful to John and Joe for sharing their story with us and hope our audiences find this film engaging and informative as we have done.’

Published: 3 Aug 2022