Cherylee Houston is an actress best known for playing the role of Izzy Armstrong in the long-running soap Coronation Street, becoming the show's first disabled character when she joined in 2010. She was awarded an MBE in 2022 for her services to drama and people with disabilities. With nearly two decades of knowledge gained from working with disabled communities, major organisations and broadcasters, Cherylee is a powerful speaker on disability and employment, access and inclusion, and influencing change.
Born in Lancashire, her love for entertainment has been evident since the age of seven, after watching Annie and in her teenage years she went on to perform in numerous school plays before training at the Arden School of Theatre in Manchester. After graduating from Arden at the age of 23, Cherylee was diagnosed with the incredibly rare Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a connective tissue disorder and has used a wheelchair since. Her first TV role came in 2003 when she appeared in Doctors playing a girl with multiple sclerosis before further appearances in The Bill, Emmerdale and Little Britain, where she was the girlfriend of wheelchair user Andy Pipkin, played by Matt Lucas. In 2006, Cherylee took a role as one of the main characters in the BBC3 comedy I'm With Stupid, where she played Dorothy. She later joined the cast of Coronation Street and made such a positive impression that she was nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2010 Inside Soap Awards.
Alongside her acting career, Cherylee is also a prominent disability inclusion leader and campaigner. She is the founder of TripleC, the disabled-led organisation working to improve access and opportunities for deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people in the arts. In recognition of the organisation's work in improving accessibility across the television industry, TripleC received a BAFTA Special Award in 2022. As the creator of the Disabled Artists Networking Community, she has built a network of thousands of deaf, disabled and neurodivergent creatives. Recently, Cherylee was also one of the key figures behind the high-profile campaign #TakingThePIP, which challenged proposed changes to disability benefits and amplified disabled people's voices within a major national debate.
Cherylee is also a popular speaker at business functions, schools and private events where she discusses her condition in greater detail as well as some of the issues associated with disability and TV. An inspiring character, she also has plenty of anecdotes to tell from the cobbles of Corrie and offers the opportunity to find out more about what goes on behind the scenes of such a large production.
Cherylee Houston's official speaking topics are listed below:
- Changing the Way We Think About Disability - challenging some of the assumptions we hold about disability and opening up a much bigger conversation about people, potential, opportunity and inclusion.
- Disability & Employment - exploring what still prevents disabled people from entering, remaining and progressing in work, and what needs to change.
- From Inclusion to Real Opportunity - why being included is only the beginning, and what genuine opportunity looks like in work, education, the arts and wider society.
- Access Is Everyone's Business - challenging the idea that access belongs to disabled people or to one particular team, and exploring what happens when it becomes part of everyone's thinking.
- The Opportunity of Access - looking beyond access as a requirement or obligation and exploring what we gain when more people are considered from the beginning.
- Leadership, Culture & Who Gets Heard - exploring whose voices are part of conversations and decisions, whose are missing, and what that means for the cultures we create.
- Representation & Who Gets to Tell Our Stories - drawing on Cherylee's experience on screen and behind the scenes to explore disability, representation, authenticity and who gets to shape the stories we see.
- How Change Happens - drawing on Cherylee's experience of challenging an industry, founding TripleC, bringing communities and decision-makers together and being part of national campaigns for change.
- The Power of Lived Experience - what changes when the people directly affected by decisions are genuinely part of the conversations shaping them.
- Disability, Identity & Expectations - challenging assumptions about what disabled people's lives, careers and ambitions are supposed to look like, and exploring the power of being able to define ourselves.
- Finding Your Voice, Owning Your Space - speaking directly to disabled people about identity, confidence, ambition and knowing your value in a world that can still place limits on what it expects from you. Drawing on her own life and career, Cherylee explores finding your voice, building community, creating opportunities and refusing to let other people's expectations determine what is possible.
- From the Cobbles to Campaigning - stories, humour and reflections from Cherylee's career in Coronation Street, her work for disability equality and the unexpected journey from actor to campaigner and change-maker.
See what people had to say about Cherylee, when she appeared at their corporate events:
"It has been an absolute joy and pleasure to work with the actor and activist for disabled rights Cherylee Houston. Our paths crossed when I was looking for an inspirational speaker to get ITV News teams and senior managers to think about how diversity on screen and behind the scenes can enrich our newsrooms and output. Who better than the Coronation Street star who has changed perceptions of disability through the nation’s favourite soap? Cherylee was approachable from the time of initial contact and her speech was standout. Her passion and energy certainly had an impact on those attending. Cherylee had clearly considered our brief and her preparation for the event was evident despite her very demanding filming and charity schedule. The day before Cherylee had completed the Manchester 10k on a Segway to raise money for a charity that encourages confidence in people with disabilities and makes theatre accessible to all. Cherylee might have been in pain after the challenge but all she cared about was using her session to get her message across to our newsmakers, who of course are powerful in shaping the news agenda. The nation knows Cherylee for her brilliant depiction of Izzy Armstrong in Coronation Street but it is clear to see that this talented actor realizes she can use her fame and influence to give people with disabilities a voice. It was a pleasure working with Cherylee and if your organization is looking for someone who is across the diversity debate, to challenge perceptions and answer the questions you are frightened of asking make sure you invite Cherylee Houston." - Sangeeta, ITV Diversity Conference
How to hire Cherylee Houston
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Cherylee Houston for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
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