Nothing to hide in new football series, says owner

The outspoken multi-millionaire owner of Maldon and Tiptree FC has said "nothing" is hidden in the new documentary that follows his club.

Barrie Drewitt-Barlow, who admits he knows nothing about the sport, is fronting a six-part fly-on-the-wall ITV series hitting screens this month.

The cameras follow his day-to-day operational control of the non-league Essex side, since he and husband Scott Hutchinson bought the club in February 2025.

"Nothing has been hidden," he told the BBC. "The pressure, the decisions, the ambition, it's all there.

"This is the reality of football ownership, unfiltered, and people are going to see exactly what it takes to try and take a club to the next level."

The new documentary follows a tried and tested format.

Disney's Welcome To Wrexham followed Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney as they took the Welsh club from non-league football, to within reach of the Premier League.

Meanwhile, Britain's Got Talent judge KSI acquired Dagenham & Redbridge and is making an upcoming YouTube docuseries about the team's journey in National League South.

"The difference between our show and similar documentaries is that this is more reality," said 55-year-old Drewitt-Barlow.

"We bring the football hype for all the men and women out there that love football, but we also bring the reality part.

"This is a show you can watch at home with your partner, even if they hate football. They will relate to a lot of what's happening."

Drewitt-Barlow is no stranger to public attention. He and his former husband Tony became widely known in 1999 as one of the first gay couples in the UK to have children through a surrogate mother.

He has since built a business portfolio spanning medical research, cosmetics and property, and has appeared in numerous reality television programmes over the years.

The documentary series represents a significant escalation in the club's media profile.

The Jammers, a nickname drawn from Tiptree's long association with jam making, had been a modestly run non-league club before the Drewitt-Barlow takeover.

Kevin Horlock's side are top of the Isthmian League North Division.

Drewitt-Barlow thanked the community and fans: "They've been brilliant. They turn up every week, rain, snow, and they're always there supporting us."

The documentary, made by an independent production company, will air on ITV4 and ITVX in April.

Richard Botchway, ITV Sport assistant commissioner, said the broadcaster was excited to bring the series to a "free-to-air audience".

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