Thelma's Gypsy Girls

Dressmaker Thelma Madine is the fairy godmother of Gypsy and Traveller wedding dresses. A self-made businesswoman, Thelma has created some of the most elaborate and spectacular outfits ever, as seen in Big Fat Gypsy Weddings, and now business is booming.

Thelma needs to expand to keep up with demand. So to give something back to the community that has made her name, she is taking on a group of completely inexperienced Gypsy and Traveller girls as trainees - many of whom have never worked themselves, or ever seen women in their family work a day in their life.

This is a project very dear to Thelma's heart; she has always wanted to pass on her skills and expertise.  Thelma has seen hundreds of young Gypsy and Traveller women happily married, but she's also met girls who aren't content with settling for the ‘at home' role traditionally taken for generations. Many are desperate to gain a qualification, make their own money and be more independent, and Thelma is determined to help those girls.

This series follows Thelma as she offers the girls real paid jobs for six months, with the hope that many of them will be skilled enough to be kept on permanently. But with no prior work experience, and with some of the girls having literacy and numeracy skills of primary school children, it's a huge undertaking

Can these young girls really learn to make Thelma's famous creations in just six months? Some can't even tell the time, so getting them to turn up for work in itself will be the first challenge. For the girls, it's the chance of a lifetime - but Thelma has worked hard to gain the trust of the community, one false move and the dream could be over...

Production company
Firecracker Films