Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Idris boxes clever
Actor to help knife-crime youngsters through fight training in TV series
IDRIS Elba will use a boxing training camp to try to turn children away from knife crime and street violence in a new TV series. The actor hopes to provide an outlet for young men and women “whose circumstances around their upbringing have not given them the opportunities to make the right choices”.
Idris, 47, who grew up on a council estate in Hackney, East London, says the series will show what can happen when people are given a fighting chance to turn their lives around. Idris Elba’s Fight School, a four-part series, will air next year on BBC2. In it, seven youngsters from across the UK will live and train together for six months, and learn discipline, focus and determination. Idris hopes that they will learn the skills needed to transform their lives. The Luther star, who trained to become a professional kickboxer in 2017, told the Mirror: “I see history constantly repeating itself and can empathise with these kids. I believe there is a better way to teach people that you don’t need knives to protect yourself. It’s a proven fact that in urban areas where fight schools open violent crime drops dramatically which is why I wanted to do this project, in hope that we can change people’s lives.
“I want this project to be an ongoing presence that will continue to provide support and education for the community for years to come.”
Based at a fight school in London, the training will be provided by ex-world class champions, who are “the hardest and toughest in the boxing industry”.
The young adults, who were chosen with the help of local organisations, will live and train together while battling it out against other amateurs as they work towards a big showcase finale.
BBC commissioning editor Michael Jochnowitz said: “Idris Elba’s passion and enthusiasm for this project meant we simply had to join him on this very personal quest to help transform futures and give young people hope.”
Executive producer Rick Murray said: “We hope we can really show that when people are given the right tools and attention, they avoid making decisions that have catastrophic consequences.”