BBC Factual has commissioned Twofour to produce a second documentary with Roman Kemp for BBC Three and iPlayer, as he explores what action needs to be taken to support young people who are suffering with their mental health.
The documentary sees Roman continue the conversation from his critically acclaimed film Our Silent Emergency – a candid and personal exploration of mental health and suicide – which aired in 2021.
In this new film, Roman hopes to move the conversation on from encouraging young people to talk about their mental health, to discovering what action is needed to support them once they have. He immerses himself in schools, youth centres and treatment settings around the country, as well as meeting with experts, charities and visiting the Houses of Parliament to try and understand the potential solutions for improving the mental health of young people in the UK today.
Roman says: “When I released Our Silent Emergency, the reaction blew me away. I hope we helped a lot of people to check in on their friends and start conversations around mental health with those closest to them. Through this new documentary, I wanted to explore what else can be done to support those who are suffering, and who have indeed spoken out. They need to know we’ve got their backs. I’ve been incredibly lucky to meet some very brilliant people, and I’m so grateful to them for sharing their experiences with me. I hope this film helps move the conversation into action.”
Fiona Campbell, Controller Youth Audience (BBC iPlayer & BBC Three) says: “Roman is not only a champion for highlighting the key issues surrounding mental health for young people but he also strives to understand what happens beyond talking and this insightful and important film will see him explore what comes next.”
David Brindley, Executive Producer, says: “It’s a privilege to once again work with Roman as he explores what we can all be doing to help support our young people in times of crisis. We’re very grateful to him and all those in the film for sharing their stories with us, and hope they have a real and meaningful impact.”
The film is commissioned by Catherine Catton, Head of Factual Entertainment and Events and Fiona Campbell, Controller Youth Audience (BBC iPlayer & BBC Three). The executive producers are David Brindley and Nic Patten. The Director is Howard Holloway. The Production Executive is Louise Ryan. The film will TX on BBC Three and iPlayer in the Autumn. Twofour is part of ITV Studios. The title is yet to be confirmed.
Roman Kemp: Our Silent Emergency premiered on BBC Three/iPlayer and then BBC One at 9pm that same day, with viewing figures hitting 2.6 million after 30 days, one of the highest rating BBC Three factual titles of the year. A quarter of those viewers were aged 16-34.
anna.reid@twofour.co.uk
