A 12-year-old dale youngster has been delighting television viewers with his latest on-screen role.
Teddy Berriman, from Woodland, has spastic quadriplegia, autism, epilepsy and is partially sighted, but hasn’t let disability hold him back.
He has already made a name for himself in the entertainment world. At just 18 months, he was already a natural in front of the camera. Most recently, Teddy featured in BBC One’s Call The Midwife.
Teddy played the character Andrew Trottwood in the critically-acclaimed drama, a young boy who catches measles.
“It was long days, I was getting picked up at like twenty to seven,” Teddy said.
“I didn’t think it would take ten days just to film the scenes I was in.
“I didn’t get used to it until the third day. We filmed last September and I could only tell people once the episode aired in January.”
While Teddy didn’t have a speaking role, his performance shone through in other ways. He formed an instant bond with his on-screen mother, Jill Trottwood, played by Joanna Horton. Teddy even became a key helper on set, remembering lines and even assisting his co-star when she forgot hers.
“I baked biscuits for everyone after I had finished on set,” Teddy said.
“I decorated Joanna’s biscuit with ‘Don’t forget your lines’!”
Teddy’s career wasn’t always smooth sailing. When he was younger, mum Nicola recalled being told that Teddy wouldn’t have any success in the modelling world due to his disability. However, that advice didn’t hold them back.
“We paid for photoshoots at a modelling agency when he was 18 months old,” Nicola explained.
“They said, ‘He’s fabulous, he’s got potential, but as he’s disabled, he won’t get any work.’
“We were disheartened, but we didn’t give up. We decided to try again.”
That decision led them to Zebedee Management, a UK wide modelling agency renowned for working with individuals with disabilities.
Teddy signed with them in July and by October, he had booked his first job.
Since then, his career has sky-rocketed, with appearances on CBeebies, a LEGO advert, a Sky Cinema ad, and photo shoots for brands like M&S. He even attended a red carpet premiere.
“There’s a stigma that people with disabilities can’t achieve things,” Nicola said.
“That is just not true. Everybody’s different, and it doesn’t matter if you can’t walk, can’t talk – there’s something out there for everybody.”
