Yahoo News Former England Footballer Ian Wright The Latest Sports Star To Confront His Demons For A BBC One Film
EXCLUSIVE: BBC One is to continue its theme of getting sports stars to confront their personal demons in a new documentary fronted by former England football player Ian Wright.
Deadline understands that the Match Of The Day pundit and former Arsenal soccer star has teamed up with David Harewood: Psychosis And Me producer Films Of Record to look back on his difficult upbringing in London.
Working titled Ian Wright: Facing Up To My Traumatic Childhood, the film comes as Wright has previously opened up about being bullied by his stepfather and how his troubled youth was turned around by a conscientious teacher.
Emma Hindley is executive producing the project for Films Of Record and has a history of working with soccer stars on BBC One documentaries after overseeing David Beckham For The Love Of The Game in 2015.
Wright previously documented his life in ITV4 documentary Ian Wright: Nothing To Something in 2014, but BBC One will be hoping to take his story to a new level after having success with similar films.
Its 2017 show, Rio Ferdinand: Being Mum and Dad, captured the former Manchester United player’s struggle with grief after the death of his first wife. The OTB Productions film won awards and was followed up by Rio And Kate: Becoming A Stepfamily earlier this year.
Next Monday, BBC One will air Freddie Flintoff: Living With Bulimia, featuring the former England cricketer-turned Top Gear presenter. The documentary, first revealed by Deadline, was one of the first commissions for South Shore, the outfit set up by former Twofour executives Melanie Leach and Andrew MacKenzie.
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