Rosie Jones is ready to change the narrative on how disability is portrayed on TV with her acclaimed Channel 4 show, Pushers.
For the 35-year-old comedian with cerebral palsy, her sitcom (directed by Peter Fellows) in which she stars as a woman called Emily who’s forced to start dealing drugs when her disability benefits are cut, has been eight years in the making.
But the journey to get there has been far from smooth, as she told Metro following the show’s nomination for Media Moment and her own nod for Celebrity Role Model at the 2026 Scope Awards.
‘[The idea] started because time and time again [Peter and I] were watching TV shows and comedy shows where there was little to no disability representation. So we were like: “Why can’t we make a TV show where the core cast are all disabled?”‘
Still, when it came to pitching the idea to studios, she came up against an age-old barrier for minority groups.
‘The answer is always: “Oh yeah, we’ve already developed one disabled TV show”. People treat disability as a category.
‘You wouldn’t treat any other young or old person like that. You wouldn’t go to Jimmy Carr: “Oh well, we’re already doing something with Michael McIntyre. The white straight upper-class non-disabled comedian man TV show is all done, so thank you, but no thank you.” That would be inconceivable.’
Eventually, the Taskmaster star managed to find a home for the series with Channel 4, making clear that ‘it isn’t simply a show about disability’.
Recounting how much she’s been approached by disabled and non-disabled people alike, she added: ‘There is still that archaic notion that disabled people are victims.
‘[Then], you see a positive, joyous show like Pushers and you are able to go: “Oh, they’re not victims, they’re not vulnerable. They are out in the world owning who they are”.
‘I guarantee that watching the show for two-three minutes, you absolutely forget about the disability element completely and you just enjoy watching the group of brilliant, funny characters.’
Also an executive producer on the series, which is waiting for a season two greenlight, the TV comic made sure there was an access coordinator on set.
‘I have been on so many sets in my years where I have not felt welcome, or I’ve felt othered or awkward to demand what I need in terms of an access point,’ she said about why this role was so important.
What’s more, she hopes it can become an industry standard in the same way intimacy coordinators are now a ‘non-negotiable’.
As for what the future holds for our chaotic protagonist, Emily, Rosie only teased: ‘We have big ambitions, bigger, better, naughtier than ever.’
Outside of her nominated show, Rosie is also up for celebrity role model, a category she is sharing with other trailblazers like Traitors icon Cat Burns, whom she has immense admiration for.
Scope Awards 2026
Metro is also the official media partner of the 2026 Scope Awards that will take place on April 30, 2026.
Every year, the charity puts out a call for anyone who thinks they might have a friend, family member, colleague, neighbour, or celebrity they think is worthy of a nomination for the awards.
The awards aim not only to celebrate the work of the disabled community but also to try and raise awareness of the issues faced by disabled people every day.
These are the nine categories:
· Media Moment – an impactful media moment that has helped shift attitudes on disability
· Celebrity Role Model – a disabled public figure that uses their platform to effect change
· Social Media Influencer – an influencer who uses their online channels to speak out about disability equality
· Purple Pioneer – someone who raises awareness of disability or works to change attitudes in their community
· Community Group – a community group or organisation that brings people together to create meaningful change in their local area
· Local Service – a local service, business or social enterprise that makes a lasting difference for disabled people
· Colleague Network – a colleague network or employee resource group that makes the workplace more inclusive of disabled people
· Workplace Champion – someone who champions disability inclusion or breaks down barriers in the workplace
· Customer Inclusion – an organisation that removes barriers and makes life more accessible for disabled people
For more details about the awards and to view the shortlist please visit scope.org.uk/awards
As for whether she would want to follow Cat’s footsteps into the famed Highlands castle, she said without hesitation: ‘I would absolutely jump at that opportunity, but you know me, I’m very naughty. I would need to be a Traitor.’
In a comedy landscape plagued by questions around cancellations and censoring content, however, Rosie feels more comfortable than ever.
For her, it’s quite simple, she’s not interested in ‘punching down’ with her jokes, especially when there are so many ‘brilliant comedians’ in that minority group who can crack and ‘real and authentic’ joke about it.
Sharing an example, she reflected: ‘I never joke about trans people because as a cis woman, it’s not my lived experience. You know who would write great jokes about trans people? F**king trans people.’
Those intrigued by her comedy can catch her with her show, I Can’t Tell What She’s Saying, which touches on ‘big hard topics’ like tackling ‘trolls and negativity’ and ‘being in the spotlight’.
In the end, though, ‘everyone goes away with aching cheeks and aching belly, which is all I can ask for.’
Pushers is available to stream on Channel 4 now.
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