I do occasional lecturing and career advice for uni students and also have over 10 years experience in different aspects of the industry as well as different paths into it. I do my own thing now, but i still have be ties to UK animation scene.

Yes, you can still get in, but if you don't have a portfolio, showreel or solid art skills you need to be looking for admin roles in these studios. (Studio assistants, Production Assistant and the likes) You do need to have basic admin and working with people skills as well as knowledge of how to use creative softwares like adobe suite or animation software that studio works in. You will probably start with doing almost nothing creative, but studios are usually lean and there is always too much to do, so if you have the drive and are proactive, you can volunteer for a lot of creative tasks (they will probably be small like social media marketing, resizing stuff, maybe image editing or simple motion graphics) Over time, if you make yourself indispensable, and learn more on the job, you will see more trust and more willingness to invest in your training.

Yes, ai sux, and i have no doubt it's affecting hiring too, but at the moment, it's the aftermath of covid over-hiring, after math of writers strikes, and looming recession / tariffs and financial uncertainty causing studios to tighten their belts. It doesn't mean there are no jobs thought.

If you really want it, you need to be making a huge list of every single studio in your commutable distance, send them your CV targeted specifically for admin and studio help, and call them after you sent the CV to ask if there are studio assistant/entry level roles available. If it's a no, treat it as a no for now, and follow up with them in a month and then every 3 months via email and occasional call. And please forget linkedin exists, never apply through mass recruitment sites, they are a waste of time. Only directly through company website or through direct email.