The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Review
FOOTBALL, PRINCE WILLIAM & OUR MENTAL HEALTH
BBC One, 8.05pm
Of all the initiatives that the younger members of the Royal family have attached their names to in recent years, the decision to open up the conversation about mental health through the Heads Together initiative is probably the most important. This film aims to move that conversation on as the Duke of Cambridge looks at the continued “stigma about mental health” with a particular focus on football. The headlines will be generated by the handful of professional footballers who open up on camera – former England goalkeeper Joe Hart discusses how he struggled to cope after his career began to decline, Aston Villa’s Tyrone Mings talks about the pressures of performing in the public eye and Chelsea manager Frank Lampard is impressively open both about his own earlier attitudes towards mental health and how much still needs to change.
That said, some of the most moving scenes come from the Duke’s interactions with members of the public. In particular, a visit to Sands United, a club composed of players who have lost babies to stillbirth and miscarriage, leads to a thoughtful conversation about what is and isn’t allowed to be said about grief. Recommended. Sarah Hughes