A few tears were shed.
Rio Ferdinand won the BAFTA for Single Documentary on Sunday night in recognition of Being Mum and Dad, the TV documentary that he starred in after the death of his wife, Rebecca Ellison, in 2015.
The documentary explored the difficulty Ferdinand and his children faced with coming to terms with the loss of Rebecca, and the need to talk through the mix of emotions one goes through when grieving.
Upon receiving the award, Ferdinand said: “I’m normally quite used to picking up trophies – but I’m not used to talking after.”
“All of the nans, granddads, middle-aged people… they come up to me in the streets. They don’t want to talk about football. And that means we’ve done a good job.”
Ferdinand was a rock solid defender back in his playing days, but this documentary showed the more fragile side to his character, for which he deserves immense credit.
For his absolutely heart-breaking documentary, @rioferdy5 wins the @BAFTA for Single Documentary.
Rio Ferdinand: Being Mum and Dad. #BAFTATV pic.twitter.com/HRDoyHrdLj
— BBC One (@BBCOne) May 13, 2018
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