Why Stacey Dooley’s “Growing Up Gypsy” Hit a Powerful Nerve
So, I just watched Stacey Dooley’s new documentary Growing Up Gypsy and honestly, it’s one of those rare shows that gets you thinking long after the credits roll. It dives deep into the lives of three young Romany Gypsy women — Chantelle, Ebony, and Serena — who are trying to navigate modern life while carrying the weight of centuries of stereotypes and discrimination.
One thing that really struck me was how common it still is for people in the Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller (GRT) communities to feel like they need to hide who they are. Chantelle, a 23-year-old from Bedfordshire, literally questioned whether people at her new job would assume she’d steal just because of her background. Imagine walking into a workplace, proud of your roots, and immediately having to worry that someone might think less of you because of them. That’s the reality for her and so many others.
Ebony, another woman featured in the film, had a client casually express anti-Gypsy views right in front of her — unaware that she was talking to someone from the very community she was stereotyping. Instead of calling her out, Ebony just sat there quietly, painting nails, and thinking to herself: “Little do you know.” That hit hard. The mental gymnastics people go through just to avoid conflict or judgement is exhausting.
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What’s powerful about Dooley’s documentary is that it doesn’t just highlight the hardship — it gives these women a platform to own their identity. Chantelle, for example, now embraces her culture openly on TikTok, sharing cleaning tips, traditional dishes, and just showing people that her way of life isn’t scary or foreign — it’s just different. She’s got over 400,000 followers, proving that people do want to learn when given the chance.
And let’s talk about the heartbreaking part: a lot of these women were encouraged not to declare their ethnicity on official forms, even university applications, just to avoid potential discrimination. Can you imagine being told not to be proud of who you are? Ebony ignored that advice and chose to be open, but the fear and hesitation still linger.
What Stacey does beautifully is show the humanity that the media often strips away from the GRT community. She brings warmth, empathy, and genuine curiosity, rather than judgement. These women aren’t trying to change who they are — they’re just asking the world to see them clearly, beyond the outdated myths and stigma.
The show has already gone viral and sparked a lot of conversation online — some supportive, some not so much. But maybe that’s the point. Sometimes the only way to break through prejudice is to hold up a mirror and tell the stories that have been ignored for too long. And that’s exactly what Growing Up Gypsy does.
If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s on iPlayer — and it’s well worth your time. It’s not just a documentary, it’s a wake-up call.
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