Joe Wicks to front personal mental health documentary executive produced by Louis Theroux
The nation's favourite PE coach will look back on his "poignant personal story".
BBC One has announced that fitness guru and lockdown national treasure Joe Wicks will front a one-off documentary on mental health, executive produced by Louis Theroux.
The newly commissioned hour-long film, Joe Wicks: Mental Health, My Family And Me, will see Wicks delve into his own personal history, and explore the ways his childhood inspired him to keep healthy.
According to the BBC synopsis, behind Wick's positivity "is a poignant personal story: Joe was brought up by parents who struggled with their mental health. His mother suffered from acute OCD and his father battled heroin addiction".
The "intimate and emotionally powerful film" will see Joe "revisit his childhood and have frank discussions with his family and friends, revealing how his experiences motivated him to keep healthy".
Wicks says, "I've spent a lot of time helping people improve their physical health, but as a child that grew up in a home with parents that struggled with their mental health, I know that this is just as important, especially given what's happened over the last year.
"I'm passionate about exploring it and I want to use my own experience to connect and help families today who are in similar situations to the one I was in. I also want to share the message that exercise can be a really powerful tool in helping to boost our mental health."
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Theroux, who executive produces, says, “I was one of the hundreds of thousands of people who flocked to Joe’s online work-outs on that first day of PE With Joe back in March 2020. I’m a true believer in Joe’s mission of improving your mental wellbeing through exercise and it is a complete thrill and privilege to be able to spread the word further in this documentary, while also showing a side of the nation’s favourite PE teacher they have never seen before. This is a dream project for me.”
Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Natural History and Science, says, "The past year has put incredible pressure on families, especially those where parents have mental health conditions, and I'm incredibly grateful to Joe and his family for sharing their story with the BBC. I hope that by doing so they will make it easier for people in a similar situation to reach out for help."
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