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13 Questions: Lewis from The Specials
22nd October 2009
Lewis, a 23 year old student with learning difficulties, lives with his four friends, Hilly, Lucy, Sam and Megan, in a supported houseshare in East Sussex. He likes music and computer games and says he hates soaps.
After learning about their accommodation arrangements online, Film-maker Katy Lock approached them, wanting to film the day to day lives of the housemates. They agreed and The Specials was born.
Now on it’s sixth episode, this online reality show follows the lives of five friends with learning disabilities warts and all as they, with some practical help from their support workers, get jobs, go to college, fall in and out of love and have fun.
On a rainy Friday afternoon, while Sam made us tea and Hilly got her hair done, we asked Lewis our 13 questions.
After learning about their accommodation arrangements online, Film-maker Katy Lock approached them, wanting to film the day to day lives of the housemates. They agreed and The Specials was born.
Now on it’s sixth episode, this online reality show follows the lives of five friends with learning disabilities warts and all as they, with some practical help from their support workers, get jobs, go to college, fall in and out of love and have fun.
On a rainy Friday afternoon, while Sam made us tea and Hilly got her hair done, we asked Lewis our 13 questions.
Uppermost in my mind today is ...
College. We do media, where we look at TV, radio and music, but my favourite subject is gardening. I like digging. We plant flowers and cress.
People think I am ...
Funny, because I make people laugh by telling jokes and saying One liners. They also think I am good looking. Lots of people wrote to me after they watched The Specials. They asked me questions, like 'what’s your favourite computer game?’ It’s Grand Theft Auto.
Not a lot of people know that ...
My nan has a donkey sanctuary. People get pet donkeys and don’t keep them for long. There is a lot of looking after, cleaning and feeding. They get bored doing it so my nan takes them.
The best piece of advice I would pass on is ...
Go to college. Get a job after college. Try to do it whatever way you can. I hope to be a shop assistant because I’m friendly and good at talking to the public.
I want to ban ...
Washing machines. Old ones don’t work properly. Our last one took ages washing. Water came out all over the floor. I put too much washing fluid in one day and filled the room with bubbles.
My ideal dinner guest would be ...
My nan. I haven’t seen her for weeks. Or Lady Gaga. I’ve got all of her music. She is lovely.
I couldn't live without ...
Other people being there. Nice people who can help with cooking and stuff. I dont like being on my own because I get bored.
My first job was ...
Working in a British Heart Foundation shop. I put labels on things. I’d really like to be a fireman. When I lived with my family, we had a bonfire and one of the donkeys walked into it and got stuck while it was still alight. Someone should have told it not to do that, but I wasn’t there.
What hasn't been invented but should be?
An electric chair. You sit in it and it brings you around the house. But they wouldn’t just be for disabled people, lazy people could have them as well.
Living with other people with learning disabilities is ...
Very good. I like living with my friends, doing what we want to do.
Making The Specials was ...
Good. I like watching all the episodes. When Katy came she tried to direct but it didn’t work, so what you see is what you get.
My favourite housemates is ...
The cat. His name is Toby T, after one of the house manager’s friends, Tommy T. I love cats.
If I ruled the world I would ...
Tell them to get on with it.
• Go to each week for a brand new episode. We can't wait to find out what happens between Lewis and Megan.
• The interview with Lewis was done with the help of his facilitator but only Lewis's own words have been published.
• The interview with Lewis was done with the help of his facilitator but only Lewis's own words have been published.
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