About this Episode
Lewis Edon discusses his journey through bone cancer diagnosis, acting career, and mental health advocacy.
Lewis Edon reflects on how a childhood diagnosis of bone cancer shaped his confidence, creativity and career. He explains how making YouTube videos helped him find his voice before he moved into acting, including work as an extra on the BBC drama The Gold. Lewis also discusses his advocacy platform, Let’s Be Real, and gaming channel, Wheel Assassin Guides, highlighting the value of bringing personal interests and disability identity together to create an authentic and supportive community.
The conversation also examines disability and performance in the film industry, from inaccessible locations and unsuitable equipment to the importance of self-advocacy and access coordinators. Lewis, Lucy and Alice consider the emotional labour disabled professionals often carry, as well as the tendency for non-disabled colleagues to overthink everyday interactions. Lewis then speaks candidly about the effects of physical illness on mental health, including anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation during childhood and adolescence. He addresses stigma around men’s mental health, the pressure to appear strong, the need for boundaries as a public figure, and the challenge of separating a medical diagnosis from one’s wider identity without reducing disability stories to negativity or “inspiration porn.”
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About our Guest
Lewis runs an online advocacy platform, Lets Be Wheel, and is a health and disability advocate, actor, and storyteller. Lewis created the platform to raise awareness, break social stigmas, and advocate for accessibility and inclusion. It focuses heavily on supporting individuals living with rare and chronic, long-term health conditions.
Follow our Guest
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/letsbewheel
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@letsbewheel
WheelassassinGuides Gaming YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/c/WheelassassinGuides
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Production Team
Host: Alice Evans, Lucy Wood and Daisy Holder
Guest Booker: Emma Purcell
Editor Adam Hull
Social Manager: Ella McD
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
