BBC series seeks Welsh children struggling to make friends
Nation.Cymru Staff
A new BBC series from the makers of The Dog House is looking for Welsh children who are struggling to make friends to connect them with experts who will help them build confidence and form friendships.
Five Mile Films have announced they are casting in Wales for their newest BBC series, Will You Be My Friend?, which centres children aged 5 to 8 who are struggling to form connections with peers.
Forty-two per cent of young people say friendships and their social life is a daily worry. The problem has been exacerbated by the Covid lockdowns as, post-pandemic, 47% of parents observed a decline in their child’s social and emotional skills.
Loneliness can have an impact later in life, with anxiety, depression, a 29% increased risk of heart disease, a 32% increased risk of stroke and a 50% increase in dementia linked to social isolation.
The six-part series will follow the participants, some shy, some who feel they don’t fit in, and some who haven’t found “their tribe”, as they meet psychologists from The Friendship Centre.
Over three half-days the expert team will help the children build the confidence and social skills to form lasting connections with other kids, before matching them on a play date with a potential new friend from their local area.
Six weeks later, once the children have returned home, viewers will see how their new-found courage has helped at school, in the playground and beyond.
Emma Loach, Interim Head of Commissioning, Documentaries said: “The longing to connect, to be seen, and to belong is universal. Whether you’re five or fifty-five, I defy anyone to watch these children without seeing a little bit of themselves reflected.
“In a world that can feel increasingly disconnected, this series shows that the simplest gestures – a smile, a shared joke, a tentative ‘will you be my friend?’ – still have the power to change everything. Five Mile Films has brought us something very special, and we couldn’t be prouder to give it a home on the BBC.”
Nick Mirsky, CEO of Five Mile Films said: “I don’t think there’s a commission I could be more thrilled to bring to Five Mile.
“Will You Be My Friend? will be joyful, warm and funny, but it also does something genuinely new – inviting us to look closely at the challenge and art of making friends.”
The team are currently casting in Wales, and filming will take place between July and August, 2026. An application form is available online for those interested in taking part.
Will You Be My Friend?, a 6×60’ for BBC One and iPlayer, is a Five Mile Films production. The Executive Producers are Nick Mirsky, Adam Chapman and Jordan Maloy. It was commissioned by Clare Sillery, former Head of Commissioning, Documentaries and the Commissioning Editor is Beejal-Maya Patel. All3Media International acts as international partner.
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