BBC Daytime has commissioned Natalie Cassidy Learning to Care (w/t) a 12×30 series for BBC One and iPlayer, with support from BBC Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland Screen.
In the Big Mountain Productions’ series, Cassidy, who plays Sonia Fowler on EastEnders, will fulfil her ambition to train as a carer. She will study, work and care alongside the next generation of young carers.
Natalie will be enrolling at one of the UK’s top Health & Social Care colleges where she’ll train, study, and work alongside real professionals. Together, her and her fellow students will “push open the door to the UK’s healthcare providers and put the spotlight on something we all face at some point in our lives – who will care for our parents, who will care for our children… and who will care for us?”
Having cared for her family members in recent years, and volunteering at local groups, she is now taking on this new challenge. The series will follow Natalie from classroom to community care services, supporting those with a range of care needs, and she’ll have to pass her final exam.
Each episode will reflect what every day looks like for a carer and “will shine a light on their daily realities too, championing the unseen and unsung carers who hold families and communities together.”
The series starts filming in April and will follow Natalie throughout her year of qualifying, through exams, placements, work and home life.
Natalie comments; “I’m thrilled to be embarking on a new adventure with BBC Daytime. In a series exploring social care, I will be going back to college and learning for the first time since leaving school at 16. Caring has always been a huge part of my life, from watching my mum care for my nan, to being a mother to caring for my dad, this series is close to my heart and I can’t wait for you to see it.”
Muslim Alim, Commissioning Editor for BBC Daytime comments. “We are thrilled to be working with Natalie Cassidy on this exciting new series. Audiences know and love Natalie for her humour, honesty and heart — and now they’ll see her in a whole new light as she throws herself into the world of care, not as a celebrity, but as a student carer learning from the ground up. Natalie’s personal experiences have given her a deep, authentic connection to care, and through her journey, we hope to celebrate the unsung individuals who dedicate their lives to helping others.”
Jane Kelly, Executive Producer for Big Mountain comments, “We are excited to be working with Natalie Cassidy on this impactful series for BBC Daytime, BBCNI and Northern Ireland Screen. The show builds on our proven track record in multi-layered contributor-focused factual. It has been over a year in development and we couldn’t be more proud to bring together a unique offscreen team with lived experience of the care sector as well as brilliant editorial and creative expertise. We can’t wait to bring you Natalie’s journey and stories, communities and characters not often seen on TV.”
Natalie Cassidy Learning to Care (w/t) has been commissioned for BBC One and iPlayer by Rob Unsworth, Head of BBC Daytime and Early Peak Commissioning, with support from BBC Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland Screen. The Commissioning Editor for BBC Daytime is Muslim Alim and Karen Kirby is Commissioning Executive for BBC Northern Ireland. The series is produced by Big Mountain Productions. Jane Kelly is the Executive Producer, Paula Campion is the Consultant Executive Producer, Ally Thompson is the Senior Producer and Emma Jones is the Series Shooting Director.
Jon Creamer
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