Esther Ghey on Brianna: A Mother’s Story: ‘It reminds me of what I’ve lost’ – see an exclusive clip
The moving documentary highlights both the joy Brianna brought and the struggles she faced in the "cesspit" of social media, with Esther speaking to Attitude ahead of its premiere
By Dale Fox
Esther Ghey, the mother of Brianna Ghey, has spoken exclusively to Attitude ahead of a new ITV documentary examining the life and murder of her 16-year-old daughter, calling for social media companies to do more to protect vulnerable teenagers.
Brianna: A Mother’s Story, airing on ITV1 and ITVX on Thursday, 27 March at 9 pm, offers unprecedented insight into Brianna’s life and the circumstances of her death, highlighting the role social media played in exacerbating her mental health struggles and exploring broader issues around youth violence and online harm.
Brianna, a teenager who was trans from Birchwood in Cheshire, was stabbed to death on 11 February 2023 by Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe, both aged 15 at the time. The brutal murder, which took place in Linear Park, Warrington, sparked widespread outrage and grief across the UK, prompting renewed calls for better protections for trans young people.
“There will never, ever, ever be anyone quite like Brianna ever again” – Brianna’s friend Lucie
The documentary also includes moving contributions from Brianna’s close friends, who share heartfelt memories and speak passionately about their determination to honour her legacy.
“I want her to be remembered for all the memories that I’ve got with her. For how she’d be to hang out with, her love, all the good things she’d do for people, and her kindness for everybody,” Brianna’s friend Daisy says in the film.
“There will never, ever, ever be anyone quite like Brianna ever again. I just don’t want people to forget her. Because if she was still here, they’d be no way for anyone to forget her,” adds Lucie.
“Being trans was such a small part of who Brianna was” – Esther Ghey
Speaking to Attitude following a screening of the documentary, Esther described the emotional impact of reliving Brianna’s story through the new documentary, calling it deeply moving yet important viewing.
“I’ve seen it before, and it doesn’t get any less emotional each time,” Esther said. “[The production company] has done such a great job of showing who Brianna was. In a way, that’s the hardest bit for me – it reminds me of what I’ve lost.”
Esther added that she hopes audiences see beyond Brianna’s trans identity to understand that she was, in her words, “just a normal child.” She added: “Being trans was such a small part of who Brianna was – it wasn’t a big issue for us. It was just normal.”
The ITV documentary also features exclusive access to the police investigation led by Cheshire Police, including custody interviews with Jenkinson and Ratcliffe and evidence collection that led to their arrests within 28 hours of the crime. Both teens were later convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.
It also shows footage of the moving speech Esther gave when Brianna was honoured with a posthumous Inspiration Award at the Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards, powered by Jaguar in 2024. In her speech, Esther said: “Brianna’s strength to be who she wanted to be really shone through in her life. [She] passed her strength and determination to others, inspiring them to be the best version of themselves. I’m the proudest mum in the world to be collecting this award for her tonight.”
Social media “an absolute cesspit” – Esther Ghey
Social media emerges as a critical issue in the film. Brianna, who had thousands of followers on TikTok, experienced significant online abuse and harmful content, which Esther believes greatly affected her daughter’s mental health.
“It is an absolute cesspit,” Esther noted of social media during a Q&A with LGBTQ+ campaigner Jaxon Feely following the screening.
“Even if I do an interview, and I’ll try not to look at comments, but I can never help myself, and I’ll look at the comments, and you’ll see people saying about my child, trying to tell me what gender my child was, and also really, really horrific comments too.”
Esther also expressed frustration at the lack of action from major social media platforms, describing their response to hate as “about as useful as a chocolate teapot.”
She added: “I’ve reported so many comments, and I always get the response that they haven’t done anything wrong, that it’s not something that they can take down, and our children have access to those comments.
“No matter how much love and compassion you pump into your child when you’re bringing them up, and how much empathy you can teach them as well, they will then go online and they’ll see the way that other people are speaking about other people, and they might think that that’s right.”
The mother-of-two further called for stronger regulations, suggesting to Attitude a ban on social media for under-16s to protect young people from toxic online environments. “There’s far more harm on there than good,” she said, criticising platforms such as Meta for prioritising profits over safety.
“That, for me, is her memory being kept alive”
Since Brianna’s death, Esther has become a prominent advocate for better support for trans youth and stronger online safety measures. She also launched the Peace in Mind campaign and established Peace and Mind UK, a community interest company that focuses on two main areas: introducing mindfulness in schools across England and making the online world safer for children.
On what she hopes people will take away from the film, Esther said: “Hopefully, through the work with this documentary and the other things we’re doing, her memory will be there forever. Even when people see pink skies and cherry blossoms, they tell me they’re reminded of Brianna. That, for me, is her memory being kept alive.”
Brianna: A Mother’s Story airs on ITV1 and ITVX on Thursday, 27 March 2025, at 9 pm.