Prince William to feature in new documentary as part of BBC mental health season

Prince William will tackle mental health through the prism of football

Matt Mathers
Thursday 30 April 2020 09:26 BST
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Prince William will feature in a new documentary as part of a series of BBC programmes aimed at promoting Mental Health Awareness Week.

With a working title of “Tackling Mental Health with the Duke of Cambridge“, the film sees the prince tackle “men’s mental health through the prism of football.”

Filmed over the course of a year, the Duke of Cambridge meets with players, fans and managers, including former England goalkeeper Joe Hart and Chelsea manager Frank Lampard, in a bid to “start the biggest ever conversation on mental health”.

Other new films include What’s The Matter With Tony Slattery, in which the comic seeks answers to his mental health problems.

The series will also feature previously aired documentaries such as Rio Ferdinand: Being Mum And Dad, Alastair Campbell: Depression And Me, Killed By My Debt, and Nadiya: Anxiety And Me.

Radio programming will include Jeremy Vine, on his BBC Radio 2 show, discussing how to support a loved one who is feeling suicidal.

Radio 3 offerings include Essential Classics, for listeners “to pause and reflect with a daily ‘slow moment’, an eclectic range of classical music”.

CBBC’s Newsround will mark the week with themes around kindness and the emotional well-being of boys.

And BBC Bitesize’s new daily lessons will include a dedicated well-being segment on BBC iPlayer for children aged five to 11 every Friday.

Announcing the series, which will run throughout May, BBC director-general Lord Tony Hall said it was “more important than ever” to raise awareness of mental health issues.

He added: “Mental health is important and, during this pandemic, more important than ever. Many people may be struggling alone, be worried about maintaining their own well-being, or want to better equip themselves to help loved ones.

“That’s why bringing mental health issues out into the open is so important. Our programmes aim to do just that. They highlight the issues affecting many and will hopefully help people seek the support they need.”

BBC content director Charlotte Moore said it has “never felt more important to raise awareness and bring the conversation out into the open when so many people are feeling isolated and alone.

“We’re taking our commitment even further to provide a vital support to those in need and reach an even broader audience with programmes that will explore what we can all do to look after ourselves, help loved ones and deal with the anxiety so many are experiencing through this crisis,” she added.

If you need to talk to someone about your mental health you can contact the Samaritans on 116 123

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