Fitness coach and author Joe Wicks MBE was in Ealing yesterday where he visited pupils at a local primary school as part of a new TV documentary.

The Body Coach, as he's also known, became the 'PE teacher of the nation' during the pandemic as he livestreamed PE classes in an effort to help children say active.

As part of a BBC One documentary about parental mental health, 36-year-old Joe is now looking at the impact poor mental wellbeing has on children as he discovers how his own parents' mental health issues affected him as a child.

Wicks took part in a workshop and discussed the importance of physical exercise for mental health with pupils at Woodlands Academy School in Hathaway Gardens before leading an en-masse workout in the playground.

Woodlands was chosen for the documentary because of the the strong focus it has on pupil and family well-being and the pioneering lessons about parental mental health it provides with the help of Our Time, a charity that supports children whose parents have a mental illness.  

Statistics show that around one in three children have a parent with poor mental health, and these children are three times more likely than others to go on to face similar difficulties themselves.

Lauren Moxom, acting assistant headteacher at Woodlands and the school's wellbeing lead said: "The visit from Joe Wicks allowed us to highlight the positive impact that talking about mental health can have and gave us the opportunity to celebrate the fantastic work we have been doing with Our Time.

"We continue to work with the charity and are currently involved with their 'Move for your Mood' programme, which promotes exercise as a way of maintaining positive mental health. We also host their monthly Kidstime workshops in our school, which is a safe space for families to discuss mental health."

Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal, Ealing Council's cabinet member for a fairer start, said: "Children whose parents suffer from poor mental health face unique challenges and they need our support to have a fair start in life.

"It a less well-known issue than many, so I think it is fantastic that this documentary, featuring Joe Wicks, has been made to help raise awareness of it. 

"I'm proud that Woodlands was chosen as an exemplar school for its work supporting pupils and families. Its partnership with Our Time has clearly been having an impact on their lives and in building pupils' resilience and confidence – both for now and for their future."

The documentary aired at 9pm yesterday (Monday, May 17). Click here to watch Joe Wicks: Facing My Childhood.