A DOCUMENTARY charting Ukrainian President Zellenskyy’s rise to power will air on Channel 4 this weekend.
The extraordinary life of the comedian turned leader in combat has fascinated the globe as he leads his country through its darkest hour.
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Now Volodymyr Zelenskyy‘s journey to glory will be detailed in a 30-minute current affairs special titled, Zelenskyy: The Man Who Took On Putin, this Sunday.
The 44-year-old has proved he is a formidable opponent of evil warmonger Vladimir Putin with his resilience and refusal to cave.
His stone-cold stance against Russian advances have made him the talk of the world, leaving millions desperate to delve deeper into his background.
The new documentary, airing at 6.45pm, will take a look at how he ditched humour to become an impromptu modern war hero.
When offered a way out of his country by the US, the father coolly told the Americans: “The fight is here. I need ammunition, not a ride.”
It was an act of supreme bravery from a man with no political involvement before his landslide presidential victory in April 2019.
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Zelenskyy’s path to fame began when he entered a TV talent show aged 17 and then created a comedy outfit called Kvartal 95, which in 2003 began producing shows for a Ukrainian channel.
He became a household name after appearing on the country’s version of Dancing With The Stars in 2006 and began appearing in films in 2008.
Kvartal 95 started producing political satire series Servant of the People in 2015, seeing Zelenskyy take on the role of a high school teacher.
In the series, his character becomes famous for an anti-corruption rant that went viral on social media, before becoming the President of Ukraine.
In a case of life imitating art, the dad-of-two then ran under a political party with the same name as his show.
Zelenskyy was then appointed as President of his beloved country in 2019 after a landslide victory.
TRUE SERVANT OF THE PEOPLE
Now the protagonist of Servant Of The People is giving the performance of his life in the face of threats to take it.
The 44-year-old also voiced the marmalade-loving Paddington Bear in the Ukrainian dubbing of the 2014 and 2017 films.
Ian Katz, Channel 4’s chief content officer, said: “We know from the huge audiences coming to our comprehensive news coverage of the war in Ukraine that our viewers have a real thirst to understand the conflict and the individuals who are shaping it.
“In the space of a few weeks, Volodymyr Zelensky has become one of the most admired and speculated about men in the world, and broadcasting our current affairs special, Zelenskyy: The Man Who Took On Putin, and Servant Of The People across Sunday night will give viewers access to deep insight into how he shot to political prominence, the foundations of his popular appeal and his intuitive grasp of how to exploit both traditional and social media.
“The battle in Ukraine is as much an information war as a military one and these two programmes will show that Zelensky was a formidable information warrior long before he was a war leader.”
Zelensky: The Man Who Took On Putin will air on Channel 4 at 6.45pm on Sunday, followed by three episodes of Servant Of The People at 10.35pm.
Series one and two of Servant Of The People will be available in full on All 4 at a later date.
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