England footballer Paul Gascoigne will be the subject of an upcoming BBC documentary, the broadcaster has announced.
Titled Gazza, the two-parter will delve into the iconic and controversial player’s rise to fame, from his time as the face of ’90s Britain to his battle with addiction.
In a statement released by the BBC, the broadcaster teases it will offer “a startling new perspective on the profoundly amoral and illegal lengths some in the tabloid press went to in order to gain access to [Gascoigne’s] private life, and manipulate it for their own gain”.
Speaking of the upcoming documentary, Gascoigne said: “This is the real story of my time in football – the good and the bad of who I am – and what really happened around me. So much of this has never been seen before. It feels good to be telling my side of the story and to be working with the Western Edge Pictures team and the BBC, who have delivered this in the best way possible to my fans.”
Simon Young, Commissioning Editor, added: “As we head into a World Cup year, there couldn’t be a timelier moment to look at this piece of our recent history. Paul’s story is a cautionary tale about the pressure of life in the public eye, and we are privileged that he, his family and friends, and those who wrote stories about him at the time, have chosen to work with us on such a startlingly honest portrayal.”
The series will feature archival footage as well as interviews with Gascoigne’s friends and family, his former agents and advisors, and his teammates and coaches. The BBC has also confirmed some of the tabloid journalists who wrote about him will appear.
A release date has yet to be confirmed by the BBC.
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