John Bishop in new documentary with partially deaf son

John Bishop and his partially deaf son Joe are set to share their story as part of a new documentary which looks at the condition.

The duo will explore whether learning British Sign Language (BSL) can help them to better relate to one another.

In the one-hour film, to be broadcast on STV, the Bishops will also seek to improve their knowledge about the deaf community in the UK.

Joe lost most of his hearing 12 years ago at the age of 15.

“Before we started this journey, we could never have imagined what an impact it would have on us as a family,” said John.

“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.”

ITV’s head of entertainment commissioning Katie Rawcliffe expressed gratitude to John and Joe for sharing their story.

“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,” she said.

“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.”

South Shore chief executive Andrew Mackenzie added. “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.”

Joe & John Bishop: Life After Deaf is being made by South Shore and Lola TV for ITV and ITV Hub, with Bishop and Lisa Thomas serving as executive producers.