CBBC has commissioned a special film of the documentary series My Life, with celebrities including Manchester City’s Jack Grealish and singer/songwriter Chelcee Grimes joining the fight against bullying to mark Anti-Bullying Week.
My Life: I Was Bullied follows the lives of three children who have been bullied and found different ways to deal with it, with Grealish and Grimes helping the children achieve their goals.
The 30-minute film documents Alfie, Brooke and Soffia as they set out to achieve personal goals and airs on CBBC and iPlayer from 6pm today (Monday November 13).
12-year-old Alfie, who was picked on by a group of boys in his year, started his own anti-bullying campaign that he hoped would help other pupils cope with bullying. With the help of footballers Declan Rice and Jack Grealish, Alfie gains recognition as an anti-bullying ambassador from a leading UK charity.
14-year-old aspiring singer Brooke had her dream come true when she appeared on the talent show The Voice. But the experience caused her former friends to start writing hurtful comments on social media. The film follows Brooke as she works on her own song about resilience, with help from global star Chelcee Grimes, which she hopes will inspire others going through hard times.
Soffia is a footballer and was excluded and teased when her friends found out about her passion. She shares the diary she wrote at the time and reveals how the bullying made her feel. But despite all, she persevered and has managed to secure her place as a top goalkeeper in the Welsh football youth team.
Alfie, Brooke and Soffia also feature in a collection of animated shorts that will be shown throughout Anti-Bullying Week on CBBC after the morning Newsround bulletin.
In the animated shorts, young people talk about their experiences in their own words. From being on the receiving end of bullying behaviour to witnessing others go through it, five young people share their feelings, thoughts and advice about what helped them.
