I am delighted to share Elliott Rae’s Press Release, on a new profound, emotive and informative documentary:
On Wednesday 26th January 2022, the BBC will broadcast Becoming Dad – the first TV
documentary of its kind to bring issues around dads’ mental health, equal parenting, work-life balance and masculinity to the mainstream.
Becoming Dad is a primetime show and will be broadcast on BBC One in the South-East
England region. It marks the launch of We Are England: a new BBC One current affairs
series that reflects voices and issues across the country.
The documentary follows Elliott Rae as he makes his TV presenter debut. Elliott is the
curator of the bestselling book DAD, a speaker on fatherhood, mental health and masculinity
and founder of musicfootballfatherhood.com, the UK’s most exciting parenting platform for
men.
Elliott was diagnosed with PTSD after the traumatic birth of his daughter. It is that
experience which has led him to dedicate his life’s work to create spaces for more open
conversations around fatherhood.
The show highlights the experiences and statistics around dads’ mental health and shines a
light on how we can all play a part to recognise the importance of dads, de-gender parenting,
challenge outdated stereotypes and support dads to be involved parents in the home.
Recent research shows that 1 in 10 new dads will experience some symptoms of post-natal
depression and 39% of expectant dads are concerned about their mental health (stats from
Fathers Reaching Out report). The mental health of men is still overlooked with suicide
remaining the biggest killer of men under the age of 45, and 12.5% of men in the UK
suffering from depression and anxiety. New dads are particularly vulnerable as financial and
work pressures coupled with a huge life change can have a significant impact. Dad’s poor
mental health has significant negative impacts on support for mothers and the development
of children.
Becoming Dad aims to raise awareness around the changing expectations that modern dads
face. In the show, Elliott asks challenging questions of workplaces, government, the NHS
and society as a whole about what more can be done to ensure dads are supported and
considered in decision-making.
This emotional, raw and moving documentary invites viewers to follow Elliott as he relives
his daughter’s traumatic birth with his wife, talks to his own dad about their relationship, and
meets with expectant dads to talk about their anxieties and concerns.
The show also highlights Elliott’s culture-shifting work through MusicFootballFatherhood,
including a pivotal moment at the stadium of Championship football club Queens Park
Rangers, where Dads from all backgrounds share their parenting challenges in an extremely
moving conversation.
Elliott said: “As a collective we need to do more to recognise the challenges modern dads
face and raise awareness of the prevalence of mental health issues. We need to do more to
challenge gendered parenting roles and move away from the concept that caring is for
women and being the main breadwinner is for men – those outdated stereotypes are
damaging for everyone: men, women and children. Becoming Dad is a programme about
love, openness and vulnerability in the quest to be the best dads we can be for our families.”
Elliott is available for interview, written articles and appearances.
hello@musicfootballfatherhood.com | 07944 554 101 | #BecomingDad #WeAreEngland