BBC One announces Rio Ferdinand: Being Mum And Dad

“I don’t think I’ve grieved properly. I’ve not given myself that time to sit down and really flush everything out and go through it.” - Rio Ferdinand.

In May 2015, former professional footballer Rio Ferdinand’s life changed forever when his wife Rebecca passed away from breast cancer, aged just 34.

Rio explores ways of managing grief, including his own, discovering that the only way parents can help their children move on with their lives is for them to begin to rebuild their own lives first.

With around 75 men under 50 becoming widowers every day in the UK, this intimate film also offers viewers a broader insight into how young husbands and fathers cope with grief as Rio speaks to other bereaved men who share their first-hand experiences.

By exploring the complex issues around grief, the stigma men often face in displaying and discussing their emotions, and discovering some of the ways people cope with loss, the film highlights the additional obstacles bereaved men often have to overcome.

The one-off 60 minute film, Rio Ferdinand: Being Mum And Dad will be shown on BBC One this spring.

Alison Kirkham, Controller of Factual Commissioning and Events, says: “Rio Ferdinand has courageously allowed the cameras to follow him in this revealing and immensely personal documentary exploring the complexities of grief. This candid film will offer BBC One audiences an intimate exploration of the ways in which men similarly bereaved cope with their loss.”

SB2