Joe Swash’s new documentary will see him delve into the untold stories of Britain’s teenagers in care and viewers can watch it this week.
Joe Swash: Teens in Care is a 60-minute documentary where the I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! star will explore the stories of teens in care over the age of 16, the largest growing cohort in both child protection and care.
His mum Kiffy has been a foster carer for more than 15 years so the documentary is very personal to him.
Swash says he and his wife, Stacey Solomon, are considering fostering in the future.
Joe Swash says he was 'moved' by the young people he met
Swash opened up about the struggles of filming the documentary.
He said: “I was moved by the personal stories of the young people I met. I found it difficult leaving them in that situation they’re in, and then coming home to my family, and having a laugh and feeling the love and the warmth of my house. I felt really guilty about that. I've been taking it for granted for so long, and they haven't had it at all.
“Also because of my kids, I really struggled with it. I had to stop myself from putting my children in their situation because that was tearing me apart as well. But I’d definitely argue that anyone who met these teenagers would come away and feel guilty and feel like they've let them down in some way. I just felt like I wanted to do more for them.
“There’s not much I can do apart from shining a light on the situation and that was a real struggle for me. I just wanted to take them all home with me, I just wanted to parent them but I couldn’t which was sad.”
How to watch Joe Swash: Teens in Care
If you’d like to see Joe Swash highlight the challenges young people in care across the UK experience and find out what growing up as a teenager in care is really like, here’s how you can watch the documentary.
The documentary airs on Tuesday, July 11 at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
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