My Life - Episode Guide

This episode follows three disabled children who take up martial arts to help improve their movement. The children all attend a pioneering school for children with physical disabilities in London and one of the 12-year-old boys, Tim, has never been able to move or communicate unaided. He relies on his mum and best friend Francis to get his thoughts to the outside world.

This documentary follows him through a busy school term and as his confidence builds, he is nominated for a national award and runs for class president. And as he gains movement he even experiments with new laser eye computer technology which could offer him a voice of his own and a glimmer of independence for the very first time.

The story of 10-year-old Ethan, who is deaf. Despite this, he loves music - sensing vibrations from their feel. Along with his three best friends, Ethan has decided to set up his own rock band, with him as the signing frontman. But how will a hearing audience react to their particular brand of music? We delve into his world - bringing his sign language and imagination to life with vivid animation, giving Ethan a chance to really have his voice heard. Much of Ethan's imaginative play revolves around the world of Doctor Who, and he is joined on his adventure by animated characters from that show. The film is narrated by the Doctor's robot dog, K9 (voiced by John Leeson) and features both the Tardis as a means of transport and the Daleks (voiced by Nicholas Briggs) as a constant adversary.

Ben is no ordinary ten-year-old. He and his youngest sister are the only two hearing people in a deaf family, and with their parents, brothers and sister all being deaf, sign language is their first language. Ben moves between two parallel worlds: a world full of noise, speech and music and a world that is silent. But when Ben tries to bring both of his worlds together, will he eventually come to terms with the dual identity he has struggled to accept and bring together the two worlds he has kept apart for so long?

Adam is an aspiring footballer who attends the Stoke City Premiership Academy. MJ lives in the shadow of Wimbledon and wants to be the next Serena Williams.

My Life: Reaching for the Top tells the story of the sacrifices and struggles they and their families are making for them to continue on their quest to play sport at the highest level. Looking at what it takes to be the best, this film explores the impact their commitment has on school, friendships and family.

Competition is fierce, and only the very best survive at the academy. Can Adam play well enough to have his contract renewed? Will MJ and her mum's sacrifices be enough to keep her at the top of her game? Or will they be forced to make further sacrifices to keep on reaching for the top?

Amy and her sister Daisy often don't see their dad for months at a time... so when it looks like he might be away for Christmas, they decide to pack their bags and join him on the other side of the world. Their dad is a wildlife cameraman making a film about a colony of penguins that surround a post office in Antarctica. When the sisters finally arrive after a tricky sea voyage, he enlists their help with filming the penguins! We follow the children as they learn to live in extreme cold, take a dip and even work in the most remote post office in the world.

Twins Imogen and Amelia have been dancing Latin and ballroom since they were four years old. Training up to four times a week, they already have lots of medals under their belts.

Imogen and Amelia dream of becoming professional dancers, but to be the best, the girls have to work a little harder than everyone else. They were born with achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism, and standing at less than a metre tall they are constantly adapting to the world around them.

So in the summer holidays it's time for the girls to step up and take on their biggest challenge yet - to dance in the prestigious Blackpool Tower Ballroom. We follow Amelia and Imogen as they learn to dance with male partners for the first time, one of whom is Imogen's boyfriend! It's make or break as the pairs attempt to master a difficult new dance. Will an inspiring visit to Strictly Come Dancing, alongside an intense training schedule, be enough for Imogen and Amelia to succeed in Blackpool?

Seventeen-year-old Isaac is an amazing fashion designer. He has been designing and making incredible catwalk garments since he was 12 years old. Now he is about to attempt his toughest catwalk challenge yet - a slot on the runway at Brighton Fashion Week.

He will be up against older and far more experienced designers. To secure a slot Isaac needs to come up with a theme. The only person who can help him with this is his fashion hero, Alexander McQueen. Isaac turns to Alexander's retrospective exhibition for inspiration and decides to create 11 designs based on the theme of mental health.

For Isaac, who has Asperger's and has experienced being bullied, this theme inspires him and his friend Alice to create 11 incredible designs for his catwalk pitch. Will he win his slot on the runway? And if he does, can Isaac actually pull it off?

Following Irish dancer Lauren as she journeys to Montreal to compete in the World Championships. She has devoted her life to dancing, and her dream is to become a world champion. But the competition is really tough, and she will be up against the very best dancers in the world. Does Lauren have what it takes to be a world champion Irish dancer, and can she take the famous trophy back home to Ireland?

14-year-old Jamie is thrown into the biggest adventure of his life when his dad invites him to join him on an Arctic trek. Jamie's father has an eye condition which means he will go blind in the next five to ten years, so he is cramming in as many life experiences as he can and this time he's taking Jamie with him.

Jamie starts out with little idea of what he's getting into or why he's doing it. He's thrown in at the deep end when he joins a team of adults to trek to, and then climb, a mountain in Eastern Greenland. They face 50km/h winds, minus 20 temperatures and they must drag everything they need in pulks weighing half Jamie's body weight. The risks are enormous at the best of times but Jamie's sulky attitude threatens to put the entire trek in danger. Will he pull through and learn to take the responsibilities needed to become a real teenage ice trekker?

Following Libby, Oliver and Ethan as they reveal how their mental health affects their day-to-day lives.

Two girls Grace and Cerys tell their stories as they juggle their passion for music and running as well as suffering from cystic fibrosis.

Persia is an 11-year-old girl from Leeds who has dreamt of becoming an opera singer since she was taken to an opera by her mother as a little girl. In pursuit of her dream, she must leave a close-knit group of friends behind to move to London.

Following 12-year-old Natasha and 14-year-old Joe as they help rescue a mother elephant and it's baby.

A musical documentary featuring three children who are young carers. Warren, Chloe and Shimoye live in London. While their peers are living a usual teenage life, these three amazing young people are taking on responsibilities that most teenagers would shy away from. They tell their stories of having to care for their disabled mothers, through their own songs and poems. This poignant documentary gives a real insight into the lives of young carers and shines a light on the complex relationships that they have with their mums.

Documentary about Grace, Rupert and Connor, who all have Tourette's Syndrome. What's it like to sniff, cough, jerk, roll your eyes and swear - and not be able to stop yourself? How do your friends react? And your family? And can you get any help for it? What Makes Me Tic follows Grace has she puts on a show and tries not to let the tics get the better of her, Rupert as he undergoes a new therapy and Connor as he tries to leave the house despite his noisy swearing tics.

Amelia, Bailey and Lois are three ordinary 11 year-olds who are about to embark on an extraordinary adventure, starring in Andrew Lloyd Webber's latest West End musical School Of Rock.

Following their journey over several months, from home to rehearsal studio and eventually to the bright lights of opening night, My Life: School Of Rock reveals just what it takes to make it in this exacting and competitive world.

Lois learned the bass guitar in a week to secure her role - but how will she cope with her nerves? Bailey is a gifted drummer, but now he also has to learn to love to sing. Amelia has moved hundreds of miles from home for the show and must adjust to life in a chaperoned house with a group of fellow performers.

As world-famous composer Andrew Lloyd Webber says, this new show is about "the empowering force of music". But incredible hard work, focus and professionalism are required of the young stars - will it be all right on the night?

Ella introduces her extraordinary world of wheelchair skating (or WCMX) and her friends Kumaka, Hunter and Luzi who also do WCMX. They show that even in a wheelchair you can back flip, grind and jump. With the World WCMX championships coming up in Texas, how will Ella and her friends do?

Documentary following Scottish teenager Iona, who is training for the World Junior Surf Championships in the Azores. She'll be up against more experienced surfers and tougher conditions but she is determined to do her country proud.

Documentary following the adventures of two brothers, 11-year-old Felix and 10-year-old Luca, who live on an island called Fofoa in Tonga. After living through the worst tropical cyclone in memory, Felix and Luca enlist a local conservation charity to help them survey their coral reef to see the effects of the storm and check the long-term damage from climate change. Protecting the marine life is vital to keep attracting the migrating whales back every year, not least because the boys' favourite hobby is taking visitors swimming to meet these magnificent animals. Join Felix and Luca as they show you what living on an island is all about.

This episode follows sister and brother Shanti (9) and Kalvin (17) as they try to complete a very special wish list, left by their mother before she passed away from cancer in 2015.

Their mother posted vlogs about her illness and built up a large following on social media. The kids pay homage in their own special way by making a self-recorded film of their progress.

Documentary following the journey of 12-year-old Joe who is hoping to receive a very precious gift - a dog that will become his ears. Joe has been profoundly deaf since he was a baby and a specially trained hearing dog could bring him the independence and confidence he so craves. Only 30 children in the UK have one of these dogs and Joe is next on the waiting list, but his journey isn't straightforward. Joe also has a Titanium leg and needs an operation to help him walk before he can receive his dog. Can Joe fully recover from his surgery and complete the training that will allow him to have a new best friend - his very own hearing dog?

Imagine living in a war zone. You're forced to flee to a foreign country where you know no one, leaving your family and friends behind.

How do you make friends in a new school if you can't speak their language? Twelve year-old Adel knows exactly how this feels as he had to leave his home in Syria and move to the UK as a refugee. He's been happily settled here for a few years, but this summer he's on a mission with his best friend Elijah to help welcome some new refugees who are struggling to settle in his new home town of Bristol.

Documentary showing what it's like to be an air cadet, taking to the skies with Kallen and Lottie as they are handed control of an aeroplane for the first time, and even do some aerobatics.

Ten-year-old world champion kick-boxer Jesse-Jane, who travels the globe taking part in competitions. She may be famous for her eye-catching and daring sword routines, but now it's time for her to compete in the fighting category of the World Championships for the very first time. Will this real-life ninja add more gold medals to her ever-growing collection?

Documentary following 11-year-old Traemondo, who dreams of being the UK's youngest grime artist. He already has a big following, with celebrities sharing his music. But it hasn't all been plain sailing. When he was only nine years old Traemmondo was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, an inflammatory bowel condition that changed his life. But this young boy with big dreams doesn't let anything get in the way of his ambition. With a week to go and help from top 20 reggae artist Stylo G, will he pull off the biggest performance of his life?

Documentary following YouTube vloggers Max and Harvey as they travel the UK, performing and meeting their fans. They also jet off to Amsterdam for a very exciting gig.

Documentary following YouTube vloggers Max and Harvey as they head off to perform at their biggest gig yet, at Bestival. Then it's a dream come true for the teenage twins as they fly to Hollywood to film music videos, meet fellow YouTubers at a star-studded pool party and then perform an exclusive gig in LA.

Fifteen-year-old Lewis is a young man with a big dream - to host a school prom for 150 special teenagers who were too unwell to attend their own. Lewis knows how it feels to miss out as he too has spent so much time in hospital. Despite having a brain tumour himself, which sometimes leads to as many as 35 epileptic episodes a week, he never gives up. To keep his dream alive Lewis enlists help from friends, family, and even Radio 1's Nick Grimshaw. However his world is turned upside down when a fund raising video reaches 31 million people and he is caught in the eye of a media storm. Will it throw all his prom plans off track, or will the teenagers get to go to the ball?

Tala and Flynn have three things in common, they're both ten, love their hamsters and both have a dad in prison. Their fathers were sent to prison when they were very young and won't be released until Tala and Flynn are teenagers. Tala writes a prison blog about what life is like since dad was taken away. Flynn makes video diaries of family day's out to show dad when he comes home. We find out what it's like to have a parent in prison, how often you can visit, and what their friends do to help Tala and Flynn when they're missing dad.

Documentary following 15-year-old Ellie, who is determined to overcome her own anxiety and depression. She goes on a trek with the Wilderness Foundation to the Lake District with other young people facing similar issues. Michael is 14 and he too has anxiety. His condition is causing him to become increasingly withdrawn, so he hopes the trek will give him the confidence to face his fears and play the drums in front of an audience for the very first time.

Documentary following ten-year-old Christopher, who is one of America's youngest anti-gun campaigners. He's got some big names supporting him, from Oscar-winning Hollywood actress Julianne Moore to top British rap artist Tinie Tempah. Christopher's oldest brother Akeal was shot dead five years ago in Brooklyn, New York, sadly just one of more than 30,000 Americans killed by guns in 2012 - just as in every year since. With around 300 million guns in the USA - about as many guns as people - Christopher's on a mission to discover why guns are such a big part of American life, and to find out what he can do to make the streets safer.

My Life: Locked In Boy tells the remarkable and moving story of Jonathan, a smart, funny 10 year-old who, for eight years, was ‘locked in' his own body, unable to speak or communicate.

Then, two years ago, his mother taught him to spell with his eyes using an alphabet Perspex board, like the one used by Stephen Hawking when he first lost the ability to speak. Today, surpassing everybody's expectations, Jonathan has a reading age beyond his years, is writing poetry inspired by William Blake and is updating an internet blog to inspire young people going through tough times.

He is also on a mission to change the lives of children in a similar position to himself and to give them the voice that he was denied for so long. The film, in Jonathan's own words and narrated by his best friend Lewis, follows him on that mission as he ventures to London to present a petition to MPs, meet his hero Michael Morpurgo, and inspires everyone around him with his sharp wit and sunny personality.

Three youngsters each try to change the accepted norm of beauty - from pushing the modelling industry to increase diversity to learning to love themselves for who they are.

Actor Ruben, who plays Finn in The Dumping Ground, goes to Moldova to find out what life is like there for children who are born with disabilities.

Child genius Kashmea has an IQ of 162, more than Einstein and Stephen Hawking, but instead of trying to solve the mysteries of the universe she is focused on solving a problem closer to home. Following the death of a close family friend due to an allergic reaction, Kashmea decides to put her coding skills and intelligence to good use to try to solve a massive problem. We join Kashmea as she attempts to design, research and launch the Speciall app which helps children with allergies and also wheelchair users to find accessible eating-out options.

The child homelessness epidemic in the UK has risen 12 per cent in the last year and there are increasing numbers of families in temporary accommodation, despite the regulation that no child should be living in a B&B for over six weeks. In this insightful, heart-wrenching film we meet Jade, Sensi and Henry, three children affected by the crisis. Almost exclusively filmed on phones, they take us into their world to show the effect of temporary accommodation on families. We follow the trio as they desperately strive not to let their living conditions set them back. For Jade, her dream of being a human rights lawyer is inspired by her homelessness and her desire that no other child should be left in the same position as her. Sensi wants everyone to know that homelessness doesn't just apply to old men living in shop doorways, while Henry's ambitions of becoming a Chelsea footballer are put at risk by living through constant evictions.

Documentary following Zimbabwean teenager Tanya, who has been training to become the first African female to win an International Motor cross race since she was five. She has just a few months to prepare for the ride of her life, at the MXGP Championships. We follow her journey to the UK as she realizes her dream.

This film revisits three remarkable Syrian refugee children whose lives in Za'atari refugee camp featured in award-winning 2015 documentary My Life: The Boy on the Bicycle.

Adopted from China is a poignant documentary that gives a real insight into the lives of four young people adopted from rural China by their British parents.

Eleven-year-old Anna and 15-year-old Aidan were the youngest competitors at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. We follow them as they prepare for the competition of their lives.