Rio Ferdinand: Being Mum And Dad

Rio Ferdinand embarks on an intensely personal journey, exploring the ways bereaved parents come to terms with loss and shape new lives for themselves and their children, in this poignant documentary for BBC One.

“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 says in the documentary. 

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

In this one-off 60-minute documentary, Rio explores ways of managing grief - including his own - and discovers that the best way for parents to help their children move on with their lives is to first rebuild their own.

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

Publicity contact: CT / SB2