In August last year, Roman Kemp’s life changed dramatically with the sudden and unexpected death of his best friend, radio producer Joe Lyons. This timely documentary will see Roman taking a closer look at the urgent issue of young men’s mental health, exploring why increasing numbers are taking their own lives and the reasons why so many of them never ask for help.

Wanting to find some answers in a difficult time, Roman will explore what can be done to encourage people to seek help, what preventative action we need to be taking, and the lasting impact that mental health and suicide can have on friends and families. This is a film about Roman’s generation, young men and boys as they become adults, and how he himself could help add to a dialogue that might help those who are struggling in silence.

Roman Kemp says: “There is a growing mental health crisis going on right now, and without the right support, the results can be tragic. I hope that by making this documentary for BBC Three we can bring attention to a subject that is affecting thousands of young men across the country, and show that there are ways to reach those who are suffering and need our help.”

Fiona Campbell, Controller, BBC Three, says: “Because mental health is such an important issue for our audience, we feel it is our duty at BBC Three to continue making films on the subject in the hope that we can offer solutions and provide some help for people who are struggling. This will be a really difficult film for Roman to make and we owe him and everyone else involved a huge thank you for putting trust in us to tell their stories.”

Nic Patten, Executive Producer, says: “The impact of the mental health crisis on this country’s younger generation is devastating, both on those who are struggling and their friends, peers and families. We are extremely grateful to Roman and everyone taking part, for bravely making a film that encourages a conversation around this urgent and crucial issue.”

Roman Kemp: Our Silent Emergency (w/t), a 1x60’ for BBC Three made by Twofour, part of ITV Studios, was commissioned by Fiona Campbell, Controller, BBC Three and Catherine Catton, Head of Commissioning, Popular Factual and Factual Entertainment. The Commissioning Editor is Max Gogarty, and the Executive Producers are David Brindley and Nic Patten. It is directed by Josh Allott, production managed by Amy Browning, and produced by Laura Smith and Marian Edusei.

BBC Headroom

The BBC has a long commitment to tackling mental health issues and bringing the conversation out into the open. BBC Headroom is a dedicated online resource that recognises the impact the pandemic is having on everyone’s mental health, and takes that commitment even further by helping audiences navigate a variety of issues at this difficult time.

Content includes inspiring stories from a rich documentary back-catalogue on BBC iPlayer; playlists, podcasts and music mixes to lift your mood, calm your nerves or soothe you to sleep from BBC Sounds; diet tips from BBC Food; motivational tips from BBC Sport; All In The Mind on Radio 4; ideas to help you get creative from BBC Arts and insights from BBC News.