Episode image for Britain's Youngest Undertaker

Duration: 1 hour

In the city of Newport in Wales, a 15-year-old schoolgirl is about to pass from a world of classrooms to one of caskets and coffins - dealing with death on a daily basis. This revealing documentary follows Rachael Ryan as she turns 16 and becomes Britain's youngest female undertaker. Dad Mike runs the family firm and hopes one day to pass the business on to Rachael and her sister Louise. Can Rachael be sure that a life of death is her destiny?

Last on

Wed 30 Nov 2011 03:00 BBC Three

  • Meet the family

    Meet the family

    Louise Ryan
    Louise is Rachael's older sister. She's twenty two and used to work in banking before she joined the family firm. Now she lives above the funeral parlour and also runs her own business which supplies memorial stones. She has a little white Bichon Frise dog called Casper.


    Michael Ryan
    Michael was born and bred in Newport. He always wanted to be funeral director and started his business fourteen years ago. Mike loves serving the needs of the bereaved in his local community. He says being a funeral director is a 24/7 job. To relax Mike watches the Newport Wasps speedway team and is a champion skittles player at the Bettws social club.

    Rachael Ryan
    Rachael is Britain's youngest undertaker. She turned sixteen this year and became a director of the firm. This summer she has been learning every aspect of the funeral trade from helping to organise funerals, being present at an embalming and dressing the deceased. Outside work Rachael likes seeing her friends, singing, riding horses and going out on her new yellow moped. She has a little white Bichon Frise dog called Tinkerbell.

Credits

Director
Guy Gilbert
Executive Producer
Jonny Young

Broadcasts

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