Former England football manager Gareth Southgate is set to front a new BBC documentary examining the challenges facing young men and boys in the UK. The programme, titled Gareth Southgate: Changing the Game for Young Men, will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 9pm on Monday 8 June.
In the documentary, Southgate travels across the country to speak directly with young men and boys about issues such as school, employment, identity, mental health, and life at home. He meets boys falling behind at school, young men struggling to find work, those growing up without father figures, and young inmates in prison to understand what led them into crime.
Southgate said: 'This is the next step in my purpose to get young men and boys moving in the right direction rather than falling behind. I wanted them to speak openly and without judgement about what’s really going on in their lives.' He added that he hopes the documentary will 'change the national conversation' and encourage support for young men to realise their potential.
BBC Commissioning Editor Gian Quaglieni noted: 'Gareth Southgate is in a unique position to explore why so many boys feel like they’re falling behind... This film steps away from polarised arguments and instead listens to how young people really feel.'
The documentary is produced by Cardiff Productions for the BBC, with Narinder Minhas as executive producer and Samuel Palmer as director.
