One thing Henry Stilwell took away from his first ever flatting experience was “to say yes and give everything a go”.
Henry Stilwell, 22, of Ngatea, told The Profile he wanted to see what it was like for people to go flatting, to be independent and “have our ups and downs”.
But there was a catch.
The experience was filmed and part of a new TV series set to launch on September 9.
Four Go Flatting follows the lives of four young New Zealanders with intellectual disabilities as they experience a real-life temporary flatting situation.
Henry, who delivers The Profile and works at McDonald’s, said he had been holding his excitement about starring in the series for almost a year.
“Let’s just say, the first episode is very funny then it gets to some serious stuff.”
People could expect to see a lot of fun, a lot of chaos, but also some “pretty emotional” times, he said.
“All the highs and lows of the flatting experience.”
Henry, who has Williams Syndrome, said he felt like people didn’t understand the genetic disorder.
However, there is a particular part of the show that could give others insight into the experiences of Williams Syndrome people living with others, he said.
Show producer Rachel Jean said a fundamental thing for the boys was being able to just be observed for a long period of time so people would be able to see what their lived experience was with their individual disabilities.
“I think that is something that fundamentally comes out,” she said
“They all wanted people to understand what it’s like to live with a disability like they do.”
Even though Henry didn’t know his flatmates very well before the show, he’d met a couple of them through special olympics basketball or mutual friends.
Another sport Henry said he enjoyed was special olympics swimming, which he had been involved in since he was 15 years old.
But there was another passion of Henry’s that would be highlighted in the show – his musical side.
Henry was able to create a rap that talked about his experience of being in the flat, and he also created a music video too.
But this isn’t Henry’s first rodeo in front of the lens.
As well as being on Seven Sharp a few years ago, Henry is also an avid TikToker who shares his life experiences with a following of just over 32,000.
“When the music video comes out, I can put it on my Facebook, my Instagram, my TikTok, “ he said.
Rachel Jean said Henry’s got a very big social media following and he got there because he was really open about sharing himself and being funny.
“For him, [the show] was about connecting more to people.”
He would be able to reach more people who didn’t actively engage with things like social media, she said.
One thing Rachel said she loved was the fact the boys went into the flat open-hearted and ready for an experience, “and boy, did they get one”.
“They went through all the things” that young people do when they go flatting, she said, like trouble with the washing machine and dryer.
Rachel believed flatting was a “rite of passage” that everybody should experience.
Learning how to accept other people, their quirks and how they do things in different ways is “kind of what makes you a better person, a better adult”, Rachel said.
“And that is what these guys went through.”
Rachel said she loved to call the show a comedy because they were funny. “And don’t get me wrong, they argued, they had some crises.. but they had a lot of fun.”
DETAILS: Four Go Flatting launches on September 9 at 7.30pm on TVNZ 1, but will also be accessible for later viewing on TVNZ+. To keep up with Henry on social media, follow him on TikTok: @lilhenry3.0
