Joseph Woods, aged seven, from West Derby landed the role of Aled Winter-Brown on the ITV soap
Michael, 36 and Joseph Woods, seven(Image: Michael Woods)
A dad-of-two from West Derby has praised the support he received from Coronation Street after his son was cast in the ITV soap. Michael Woods, 36, who is deaf, is immensely proud of his seven-year-old son Joseph, who took on the role of Aled Winter-Brown on the cobbles back in 2021.
Michael’s son Joseph, seven, is also deaf and has a cochlear implant to be able to hear. Aled Winter-Brown is the son of Chesney Brown (Sam Aston) and Gemma Winter (Dolly-Rose Campbell). Joesph’s character was first introduced in 2019 as part of the show’s quadruplets, with Joseph taking on the role two years later.
What makes Joseph’s role so special is that Coronation Street later revealed the character is deaf on-screen. Aled is the only one out of the quadruplets (Carys, Bryn, Aled, and Llio) who received the diagnosis and went through the process of getting a cochlear implant.
Joseph and his dad Michael both communicate via British Sign Language, so it was a very special moment for the family when Joseph was cast.
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The introduction of Joseph’s character Aled shone a light on the important of British Sign Language (BSL) in television. Joseph’s on-screen mum, actress Dolly-Rose Campbell, started learning BSL to make the scenes feel more raw and authentic and to further support Joseph.
Michael has spoken to the ECHO about how Joseph landed the role, and it was very much a case of right person right time.
Michael, who communicates via BSL, told the ECHO: “About five years ago, we found out Joseph was deaf and we went through the procedure for him to have a cochlear implant.
“He was on the waiting list to be able to get one, but at the time Coronation Street were looking for a child who has a cochlear implant and he managed to fit in the criteria for what they were looking for.
“I replied so he could be able to do that and we’ve had a very good relationship with Coronation Street since then.”
Michael praised the support the family received from Corrie at the time, with the producers making alterations to make sure Joseph slotted into life on the cobbles.
The dad-of-two said: “They were very supportive and always made sure we had a BSL interpreter. With him being deaf, Coronation Street can be very fast-paced and for him to fit in to that, they had to make sure he had access to his teaching and education and made sure they gave him that full support, especially with him not being at school.”
Michael, who has two children Joseph, seven and Isabella, 10, shared this is the first time someone in his family landed a job on TV, and he feels immensely proud watching his son on screen.
He said: “It’s a big thing especially for me because I’d like to see more deaf people represented on TV nationally. It’s a huge thing for him to be involved in and I’m so proud.”
“He loves being on Coronation Street and he loves being an actor, he even acts at home. As a family we’re so proud watching him, it’s my son that’s on TV.”
Michael is proud to see his son paving the way for the deaf community. But the former self-employed gardener has also taken it upon himself to raise awareness.
Michael hopes to inspire his children by becoming the first deaf British man to climb Everest(Image: Michael Woods)
The dad-of-two is hoping to become the first deaf British person to climb Mount Everest. Michael shared how he hopes to inspire his son while also raising money for the National Deaf Children’s Society.
Michael hopes to inspire his son to take on difficult challenges in his own life, showing him that deaf people can achieve anything they put their minds to. Climbing the world’s highest mountain will allow Michael to push his own limits while raising vital funds for the National Deaf Children’s Society, which has supported his son from a young age.
With the charity’s support, Joseph secured full-time communication support and BSL interpreters at school – something Michael described as life-changing.