Ant & Dec Stopped The ‘BGT: Champions’ Finale For This Important Reason
itv Reading Time: 2 minutes
The BGT: The Champions finale was put on pause by hosts Ant and Dec this weekend, to send an important message about mental health. They announced the launch of a campaign called “Britain Get Talking.”
As Dec explained, “In the last 15 years, there has been a staggering 48 percent rise in anxiety and depression amongst British children. But something as simple as talking together and listening to each other can build our mental wellness.”
‘BGT’ Finale Addresses Mental Health
The hosts announced that they were pausing the show for one minute to give viewers at home an opportunity to talk to each other. During this time, backstage crew on the show held up cards which read, “Use our silence to talk to each other. Try it now.”
According to the Independent, Britain Get Talking is supported by ITV talent such as Dermot O’Leary, Gordon Ramsay, and Holly Willoughby, as well as the charities Mind, Young Minds, and SAMH.
As part of the campaign, ITV will air advertisements over the next month featuring ITV stars encouraging viewers at home to talk to each other.
Tonight ITV included a time of silence during BGT & adverts to encourage families to TALK to one another. Dead air time usually causes people to switch over, but they really created a moment & promoted mental wellbeing. So important. Much respect. Well done 👏 #BritainGetTalking
— Miss Berry (@MissBerry124) October 5, 2019
Why Is Talking About Mental Health Important?
Mind’s chief executive Paul Farmer told the Independent that mental health is just as important as physical health. “At a time when only a third of people with a mental health problem get access to any kind of help and support,” he said, “it’s important to do whatever we can to help people take steps to stay well and try and prevent mental health problems developing in the first place.”
The Britain Get Talking website includes more information and resources about the campaign. The site features suggestions from ITV stars about how to get your loved ones talking more, as well as a generator for conversation starters if you’re stuck on what to talk about.
It’s great to see BGT using its platform to draw attention to such an important issue.
