logo
Writer Jimmy McGovern praises ‘brave' BBC for airing child abuse drama

Writer Jimmy McGovern praises ‘brave' BBC for airing child abuse drama

Independent6 days ago
Writer Jimmy McGovern has said he doubted whether his new drama, which tells the story of a child abuser and how his family are impacted, would ever make it to air, but praised the 'brave' BBC for showing it.
The Liverpool-born scriptwriter said he thought he 'had' to write Unforgivable to tell the story – based on an account he heard from a child psychologist – of a convicted sex offender who revealed details of his own abuse after being released from prison.
He said that as he was writing it he doubted whether it would ever be aired.
The 75-year-old told the PA news agency: 'I wanted to get it right, but the thing that bothered me most was, why am I doing this? Because I have a very strong feeling that the BBC will never do this, because it was not only condemning child abuse, it was trying to understand all the issues about child abuse, and that's not easy for people to take.
'I thought the BBC would say no, but they haven't said no.
'I know that they've been subject to attack at the moment, but it is an extraordinarily brave organisation at times, particularly over drama.'
McGovern said as he wrote it he worried about backlash 'more over this particular project than any other' from people who may think it offered a sympathetic view of child abusers.
He said: ' People are more than the crime they have committed, aren't they? There is more to any criminal than the crime they committed.
'So, it's finding that within the child abuser that helps you tell the story.
'He is an interesting character. We do not make it easy for him at all.
'The crime of abuse is an appalling crime and should be punished as an appalling crime. We do not make it easy for for our abuser at all, but we do delve into aspects of his life.'
The writer said he understood the public reaction to child abusers – having once driven around Liverpool's Sefton Park with a neighbour trying to find a man they believed had tried to touch their children.
'All we knew was the man who did it had blue running shorts on,' he said.
'We went, we toured around Sefton Park looking for a man, any man, in blue running shorts and we were going to kill him. Thank God we did not find such a man.
'I excuse myself by saying probably most men would have reacted that way.'
McGovern said he always wanted actor Bobby Schofield, who appeared in the writer's prison series Time, to play the role of abuser Joe Mitchell.
He said: 'He's tremendous in it. He doesn't curry favour at all. What he does do is he plays self-disgust really well and he is a man who hates himself.'
The one-off TV film also sees McGovern working with Anna Friel and Anna Maxwell Martin, both of whom he has worked with before.
'It's great to give lines to actors like that, you know. You know they're going to be done well,' he said.
For the first time, he worked with David Threlfall, who McGovern had admired since he had seen him as Frank Gallagher in Shameless.
He said: 'I always saw that as King Lear, because he was just that man in the storm, almost, wasn't he? I think he's an incredible actor.'
Unforgivable will air on BBC Two at 9pm on Thursday and will be available on BBC iPlayer from the same day.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Duke and Duchess of Westminster welcome first child
Duke and Duchess of Westminster welcome first child

The Independent

time5 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Duke and Duchess of Westminster welcome first child

The Duke and Duchess of Westminster, Hugh Grosvenor and his wife Olivia, have announced the birth of their first child, Cosima Florence Grosvenor, born in London on Sunday. A spokesperson for the couple confirmed that both the duchess and baby Cosima are doing well, and the family is looking forward to spending time together. Hugh Grosvenor, a billionaire aristocrat and one of the UK's largest landowners, inherited his title and control of the Grosvenor Estate at the age of 25 following his father's death in 2016. He is a close friend of both the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex, and serves as godfather to Prince George and reportedly to Prince Archie. His property company, Grosvenor Group, owns significant land in Mayfair and Belgravia, and he previously donated £12.5 million to the UK's Covid-19 relief effort.

Love Island SPOILER: Toni Laites clears the air with Megan Moore as she blames the boys for an apparent divide between the girls
Love Island SPOILER: Toni Laites clears the air with Megan Moore as she blames the boys for an apparent divide between the girls

Daily Mail​

time5 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Love Island SPOILER: Toni Laites clears the air with Megan Moore as she blames the boys for an apparent divide between the girls

Toni Laites pulls Megan Moore to clear the air as she blames the boys in the villa for the apparent divide between the girls. The US-native, 24, pulled her fellow islander, 25, to the fire as she confess that the believed the root of all their problems were the boys. As they sit down in the iconic villa, Toni tells her: 'What I think is the root of the divide, is really the boys.' To which Meg says: 'It's so stupid for us to argue over these little things.' Toni adds: 'I know that we're all friends at the end of the day', that prompts Meg to say: 'I'm not going to hold any grudges against what you guys said. You know I love you.' The pair then decide to gather all of the girls over, too. Toni says: 'At the end of the day, we know we're all friends here. They're [the boys] the problem!' The girls all enjoy a group hug as they attempt to put all their previous issues a side. Love islands fans have already called out the girls for their behaviour and furthering the divide in the villa. Viewers slammed the 'nasty mean girls' as they 'alienated' single Shakira for flirting with the boys last month ITV2 viewers were left shocked by the 'b****y' girls behaviour as they chatted around the fire pit - excluding Shakira and American bombshell Toni. The girls complained: 'Shakira has spoken to every Tom Dick and Harry, I don't think I've done enough.' Megan said: 'Shakira has been grafting her f***ing arse off today'. Making another comment, Helena added: 'I think she fancies everyone doesn't she, she even fancies the plants. I should have grafted today, I should have kissed him. Shakira picked up on the 'bad vibes' and told Toni she felt 'singled out' but pointed out that there was nothing stopping the other girls grafting as well. She said: 'Getting ready then, the vibes were so off and I can't say anything as nothing has really been said but the energy, everyone's thinking like have they done enough. 'The girls don't appreciate that I'm grafting we have all been here a day like you can do it too. 'It has rubbed people up the wrong way and I've been singled out as the threat, you get in as much as you get out.' Fans rushed to X - formerly known as Twitter - to call out the girls for 'alienating' Shakira and questioned whether the other girls had ever watched the show before. They wrote: 'The twist that has made Shakira have to graft has made the other girls alienate her which is so nasty. This is LOVE island, you can all graft too! Nobody wants to work anymore!; 'What's this shade towards shakira. 'She's spiken to every tome,dick and harry'. DUHHHHH This is love island; 'Ew these blondes getting b****y about Shakira getting to know the boys, LIKE WHAT LOVE ISLAND IS FOR; Meanwhile Shakira picked up on the 'bad vibes' and told Toni she felt 'singled out' but there was nothing stopping the other girls grafting as well; pictured Shakira and Harry 'The Islanders claim to know Love Island inside out until it's day two and someone HAS to graft and they're all acting like Shakira is tryna chain herself to everyone she talks to '. And it turns out Shakira had done enough grafting and turned three of the boys heads before she eventually decided to couple up with Harry, leaving Sophie Lee single and dumped from the villa. However, viewers were quick to react to the very awkward moment that Shakira discussed her choice of boy with Maya Jama during the dramatic recoupling. Before eventually picking Harry meaning his partner Sophie was dumped, Shakira took a long time to deliberate. She then turned around and whispered to Maya: 'So the one I pick their girl then gets dumped?' As Maya told her 'yes' she then told her she really didn't know which one she liked the most as the host then asked her she had to go with who she felt the best connection to. Viewers were quick to react to the awkward moment which took place in ears shot from the waiting Islanders. They penned on X: 'Shakira thinking she's besties with Maya STOP #LoveIsland.', 'Shakira conferring with Maya like she's her friend is so funny #loveisland.', And it turns out Shakira had done enough grafting and had turned three of the boys heads before she eventually decided to couple up with Harry, leaving Sophie (pictured) single and dumped from the villa 'Shakira and Maya Jama was like watching girls in the club toilets talking about the guy she's dating #LoveIsland.', 'Sorry this secret chat between Shakira and Maya is unironically hilarious #loveisland.' 'Not Shakira doing a debrief with Maya #LoveIsland.' 'LOL maya said im not getting paid extra for this get on with shakira is sooo funny #LoveIsland.' 'Obsessed with shakira and maya little off stage chat #loveisland.' Following the arrival of first bombshell Toni, who surprised the singletons at the close of Monday's episode, semi pro footballer Shea Mannings and fitness influencer Remell Mullins became the latest arrivals after Sophie's axing. Shea, who is a Scaffolder from Bristol, revealed he has a young son, and he will be taking that 'into consideration' when coupling up. He added: 'She needs to be bubbly and we need to have that initial spark. She needs to have a nice personality - like I think I have - so that we match together.' Meanwhile, Remell is a Self Improvement Content Creator who boasts a massive 18million likes and half a million followers on TikTok. Remell shared he is looking for, 'A bubbly, confident, ambitious and fun girl. One feature that stands out to me is a nice smile, nice teeth and someone that can keep me on my toes.' When asked where he might be found in the villa in the morning, he replied: 'I might be cooking a nice high protein meal, I might be doing my skincare routine, something to level up.' Dejon Noel Williams NAME: Dejon Noel Williams AGE: 26 FROM: London OCCUPATION: Semi-pro footballer and personal trainer WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Someone who is beautiful on the inside and out, looks after themselves and is healthy CLAIM TO FAME? My dad being an ex-professional footballer. I've met all kinds of famous people through him. When I was younger it was weird because he was just my dad, but we'd go to a game and fans were asking for photos. I've met David Beckham, he was really nice. Megan Moore NAME: Megan Moore AGE: 25 FROM: Southampton OCCUPATION: Payroll specialist WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? I'd like to meet someone who is tall, with a nice tan, nice eyes and a nice smile. He needs to have a good fashion sense and a really good, funny personality that I can get on with HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LOVE LIFE? Bankrupt, right now. But we're going to make sales and get on that corporate ladder and be booming. Profits, profits, profits! NAME: Helena Ford AGE: 29 FROM: London OCCUPATION: Cabin Crew WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Somebody funny or Northern. I feel like Northern people have much more banter than Southerners. If you look through my previous dating history, you'll see I clearly go for personality. You can pretty much laugh me into bed. WOULD MAYA HIRE YOU FOR YOUR FLIRTING SKILLS? I would say hire but then quickly fire soon after. It would only be a temporary contract. NAME: Shakira Khan AGE: 26 FROM: London OCCUPATION: Construction Project Manager WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Someone who is tall, charming, witty, with big arms, a good smile and just really funny. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LOVE LIFE? Booming, but they're all frogs. It's a busy love life but I've not found 'the husband', I'm looking for 'the one'. I'm looking for the ring. NAME: Harry Cooksley AGE: 30 FROM: Guildford OCCUPATION: Gold trader, semi-professional footballer and model WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? The girl next door that makes me laugh and can hold eye contact with me. I don't think I'd go for the most obvious girl, I like a real sweet girl. CLAIM TO FAME? I'm the body double for Declan Rice. So when he does a shoot, any body close ups will actually be me. You'll never see my face, but you'll see my shoulder or chest, that kind of thing. NAME: Conor Phillips AGE: 23 FROM: Limerick OCCUPATION: Professional rugby player WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?Someone who is really sure of themselves, ambitious, a bit of a go-getter and good craic. I like dark eyes and I don't mind a dominant woman. WOULD MAYA HIRE YOU FOR YOUR FLIRTING SKILLS? Definitely hire. I ask girls if they want to go halves on a baby. It doesn't work, but it gets them laughing. It's an ice-breaker, not a serious question of course! NAME: Toni Laites AGE: 24 FROM: Connecticut OCCUPATION: Las Vegas Pool Cabana Server WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? I'm looking for darker hair, definitely muscular but not too muscular. Super fit. Clean hair cut. Someone that can make me laugh - I'm super outgoing. And someone that's quite active. Maybe one day we could start our own family together. I WANT TO DATE A BRITISH GUY BECAUSE... I've lived in three different states and I'm still single. It's time to try something new! I have some British friends and they're pretty charming. I think all Americans love a good accent. British men are just more polite, with better manners. NAME: Yasmin Pettet AGE: 24 FROM: London OCCUPATION: Commercial Banking Executive WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? I'm looking for a guy who is fit, has a nice body and who is funny with a bit of banter. WHAT'S YOUR BIGGEST ICK? A guy that's stingy NAME: Megan Moore AGE: 24 FROM: Dublin OCCUPATION: Musical theatre performer and energy broker WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Someone who doesn't take themselves too seriously and has a sense of humour. If they're not bad looking, that's always a plus. I love a boy that's a bit pasty, like Timothé e Chalamet. I don't mind scrawny, or a bit of a 'dad bod'. I'm 5ft1 so any height really. CLAIM TO FAME? Me and my friends made a Derry Girls TikTok for Halloween and it went a bit viral around Brighton. Sometimes I get stopped in the street about it. I've also done Panto. NAME: Blu Chegini AGE: 26 FROM: London OCCUPATION: Construction Project Manager WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Someone who is family oriented, has a lot of love to give and a lot of love to receive. Personality goes a long way. WOULD MAYA HIRE YOU FOR YOUR FLIRTING SKILLS? She'd fire me, but I've got the charm to smooth things over with a girl. The fact I speak fluent Spanish comes in handy when it comes to flirting! Jamie NAME: Jamie Rhodes AGE: 26 OCCUPATION: Electric Engineer WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Bubbly, cheeky, outgoing, good face card and a nice bum. WHAT KIND OF ISLANDER DO YOU THINK YOU'LL BE? I'll be in amongst the drama! It's a once in a lifetime opportunity, I'm gonna take it by the horns and go for it. NAME: Ty Isherwood AGE: 23 OCCUPATION: Site Engineer WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? I go off energy, if we vibe. I've typically dated brunettes, tanned, nice teeth with a nice smile. WHAT KIND OF ISLANDER DO YOU THINK YOU'LL BE? A head turner! I get along with lads easily and like to make people laugh. NAME: Cacherel 'Cach' Mercer AGE: 24 OCCUPATION: Professional Dancer WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Someone who's emotionally intelligent, beautiful, charismatic, caring, affectionate, and I'd say an intro extrovert. WHAT KIND OF ISLANDER DO YOU THINK YOU'LL BE? I think I'm gonna get into trouble, I feel like I'll be the joker of the group! I'll also be the person people come to for advice… and a bit of eye candy at the same time. ......................................................................................................................... Angel NAME: Angel Swift AGE: 26 OCCUPATION: Aesthetics Practitioner and Salon Owner WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? I'm ready to make memories with someone, go travelling with them and fall in love WHAT KIND OF ISLANDER DO YOU THINK YOU'LL BE? I feel like people have been getting their heads turned very easily. I do feel like I have quite a good chance of turning someone's head.

Antiques Roadshow expert shares huge value of Titanic letter but guest refuses to sell
Antiques Roadshow expert shares huge value of Titanic letter but guest refuses to sell

Daily Mirror

time6 minutes ago

  • Daily Mirror

Antiques Roadshow expert shares huge value of Titanic letter but guest refuses to sell

Antiques Roadshow expert Hilary Kay met with a guest whose father Sidney Daniels was hired to work on the Titanic as a plate washer at the age of 18 Antiques Roadshow's Hilary Kay had an emotional encounter with a guest whose father, Sidney Daniels, was employed as a plate washer on the Titanic at just 18 years old. ‌ Sidney was one of the survivors of the tragic sinking, and his daughter brought along a poignant letter he penned to the beloved BBC series. ‌ She recounted: "It was a Sunday, he was sound asleep, there was a banging and shouting and it was the night watchman. They were all a bit bleary-eyed because at first they thought it was a drill. ‌ "It wasn't until he got up on deck, there were hardly any people around at first and then officers came and turned to him and said, 'Go to these cabins.' Of course it was hard to wake people, they were asleep. "Some reacted in different ways. One or two said 'What does this young man know? He's 18, the boat is unsinkable. We're not going up on deck.' Others were saying, 'We've got children, they're going to get a chill if they go up on deck.' So he helped the children with the lifejackets and ushered them up on deck." ‌ Hilary reflected on the harrowing event, adding: "You can imagine the scene of chaos and despair because people realised there weren't enough lifeboats." Relaying the harrowing tale of survival, one of Sidney's kin recounted: "That was his job, to try and get people into the lifeboats and the water was rising all of the time. When all the lifeboats had gone, the water was up around his knees and he thought, 'It's time to go.' So he dived off the side of the boat, swam away from it, came to a lifebelt and to my Dad's mind, it was too close to the boat, he was afraid when the boat went down, the suction would take them down so he said to this chap, 'It's no good here, let's swim away.'". They continued with the gripping narrative: "Apparently this chap followed him and they just kept swimming. He said he saw a star in the sky which he thought was his mother and swam towards this star and eventually came to this life raft which was upside down and managed to cling onto that." ‌ The story took an emotional turn as they shared: "When he was on there, he said, 'I'm tired, I want to go to sleep,' and the chap next to him said, 'Don't go to sleep lad, if you do, it will be your last.' So they sat there singing hymns trying to pass the time away." Accompanying their visit, the relatives brought a poignant piece of history - a letter from Sidney's uniform pocket as he leapt from the Titanic, reports the Express. ‌ Expert Hilary weighed in on the artefact's significance and value: "It's an extraordinary item and anything related to Titanic has this extraordinary affect on people. It is an extraordinary moment to behold something which is so linked into an extraordinary moment in history." She estimated it's worth: "We're talking about around £10,000, is the realistic value." Upon hearing the valuation, the guest firmly stated: "It's very nice but it's not going out the family, it's going to a museum." Antiques Roadshow is broadcast on Sundays at 8.15pm on BBC One.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store