In this new Our Lives documentary, Suzi Perry travels to Northern Ireland to meet three women who compete in the exhilarating yet highly dangerous sport of motorcycle road racing.
Brothers James Lusted, 29, and Phil, 32, both have a rare form of dwarfism. They have faced medical and physical challenges in their lives but, most of all, they always believed they would struggle to findlove. They were wrong. This documentary, part of BBC One's Our Lives strand of programmes, is an intimate and emotional insight into their lives. James, three feet seven inches tall, is getting ready to marry his average-height fiancee Chloe. He still can't believe it's happening. Older brother Phil is three feet tall and has been married once before. It didn't work out, but his past experience hasn't put him off. He met average-height Kathleen from Seattle online, and the couple are also now engaged to be married.
A group of overweight cabbies try to change the habits of a lifetime and go from supersize to superfit.
Growing Up with Cancer forms part of BBC One's Our Lives strand. Being a teenager can be a traumatic time, so imagine throwing cancer into the mix too. This film tells heartwarming stories from the speciallydesigned Teenage Cancer Trust Unit at Glasgow's Royal Hospital for Children, where a remarkable group of young people have been forced to grow up fast. But here they can share experiences of coping with the devastating effects of cancer and chemotherapy and of being forced to live a different life to most of their teenage friends.
Documentary looking at the fierce competition between the big bus tour companies in Belfast as they fight for a share of the lucrative tourist market. The film forms part of BBC One's Our Lives strand.
Martin Shaw narrates a documentary following 14-year-old artist Kieron Williamson as he prepares for his latest exhibition, at a critical moment in his career which sees him begin the transition from child prodigy to adult artist. The programme also reveals how Kieron's career is being managed by his family, who had to learn everything from scratch as newcomers to both business and the art world. Part of BBC One's Our Lives strand.
Documentary following the Donnelly family from County Armagh, thought to be the oldest group of siblings in the world, with a collective age of 1,064 years. Cameras chart how Austin Donnelly set out to discover if he and his 12 siblings really are the oldest group of siblings on the planet, a task his twin Leo assumed after Austin passed away before he could complete his quest. The film weaves a portrait of a large family from rural Northern Ireland growing up in the most turbulent of times, and uses a treasure trove of family archive to help to bring to life personal recollections and experiences. Part of BBC One's Our Lives strand.
Jodi's Lovely Letters follows Jodi as she writes letters to strangers from all over the world, and also prepares to curate her first ever exhibition, based on her work. But life isn't easy for the 28 year-old, who suffers with depression, anxiety and ME. Jodi Bickley from Birmingham, started writing letters when she was just five years old. She was encouraged to write a letter to her grandmother who had just passed away - it was a letter to an angel. From then on Jodi began to write letters and notes to strangers. She would leave them on busy Birmingham buses, in coffee shops, shopping centres - anywhere where they could be found and potentially brighten up someone's day.
Documentary looking at how the island community of Orkney, located off the north east coast of Scotland, copes with the onslaught of tourists from cruise ships. Part of BBC One's Our Lives strand.
Documentary following insect expert Dr Sarah Beynon and award-winning chef Andy Holcroft as they try to bring insect-based food products to the mainstream market. The couple have renovated Sarah's family's beef farm just outside St David's, Pembrokeshire, and turned it into the Bug Farm, a visitor attraction with an insect museum, a zoo, a gallery a research centre and a restaurant, as well as continuing with the traditional beef cattle. While Sarah looks after the education and research side, Andy runs the restaurant, which has a dual menu - normal food next to bug versions. One of his signature dishes is the bug burger, a mix of five different bugs with a locust garnish. The couple are passionate about insect-based food as a more sustainable source of protein than meat - as insects need far less land and water, can feed on waste stream rather than edible arable crops and hardly contribute to climate change.
Documentary following 18-year-old model Connor Newall as he travels in Europe and to New York on various assignments. Turning his back on a potential career in the Govan shipyards or the British Army, Connor instead travels the world, often on his own, fulfilling the demands of a punishing schedule. Keeping in touch with his family when he can, Connor shoots with top photographers, is dressed by the best stylists and parties with celebrities. This documentary - part of BBC One's Our Lives series - examines his fast-paced life in the modelling world and also looks at whether his home life in Govan is moving on without him. Agents, family and professionals provide guidance as the teenage model tries to keep the momentum going and survive and thrive in the sometimes superficial world of fashion. The programme asks whether the teenager may be forced to reinvent himself or whether his charm, unique looks and Glasgow humour can keep brand Connor alive.
From 20-stone pumpkins to man-sized marrows, this documentary digs into the colourful world of Welsh giant vegetable growers as they fight it out in the first show of the season. Part of BBC One's Our Lives strand.
Kimberly Benson is Viper, one of Scotland's top female wrestlers. As part of BBC1's Our Lives, we're with Kim in Glasgow and in Japan as she fights in some of the most important matches of her career. As women's wrestling steps into the mainstream, it's a pivotal moment in Kim's career. We follow Kim into this intriguing and sometimes dangerous world at home and abroad, as she takes us behind the scenes of a rarely seen, often misunderstood, yet utterly fascinating world. We are with Kim as she competes in a series of high-pressure matches that could have a huge impact on her future career. We are ringside as she fights men twice her size in a rare match that puts male and female wrestlers in the one ring to fight it out. We see her battle for a Scottish championship, and ultimately she puts everything on the line for a chance at her first ever world champion title. We travel with her to Japan to see her take part in this epic match. Can Kim survive the hectic pace of training, travelling and fighting? Can she do all this while balancing working for a living and some form of family life? On top of all that, there's the ever-present threat of injury. While the outcomes of wrestling bouts are scripted, there is nothing fake about the physical danger these women constantly put themselves in. How far can Kim's talent, personality, skill and bravery take her in the world of pro wrestling, and what does it cost her?
It's not a typical removal job - transporting a herd of elephants from the Midlands to their new seaside home, there are delays and setbacks, but why was such a mammoth task being attempted - and just how successful has it been?
Anita Rani tells the story of one man who has devoted his life to helping the homeless. Randeep Singh started his small Southall charity with just a handful of volunteers but has now transformed it into a sophisticated national task force that feeds and clothes thousands of people every week. As the charity tries to expand to other outposts they face obstacles and challenges that test their dedication.
Angela Rippon, who was the very first host of Top Gear, travels to Northern Ireland to meet the women who live their lives on the open road - behind the wheel of a truck. Not content with just driving for a living, these lorry ladies spend their weekends at truck festivals across the country, competing for prizes with their huge vehicles.
A unique insight into one of the West Country's craziest and most dangerous rural traditions - cheese rolling. Seb Choudhury meets the people behind the annual event, when people travel from around the world to throw themselves down a very steep hill in pursuit of a double gloucester cheese. How will Seb get on when he decides to take part in the terrifying race?
Documentary about the remote Scottish island of North Ronaldsay. The island saved Sarah Moore's life, but it is under threat, and she must do everything she can to help save it.
In the shadow of Snowdon, 26-year-old Teleri Fielden is given an opportunity to fulfil her dream of becoming an upland hill farmer. She has won a scholarship to run the beautiful National Trust farm Llyndy Isaf, near Beddgelert, for a year, covering more than 600 acres of mostly mountainside stocked with sheep and cattle. Physically small but big in heart and optimism, Teleri is determined to break into the male-dominated farming industry. But will she be able to cope with lambing on one of the toughest farms in Snowdonia during one of the bleakest springs in living memory? Showing as part of the Our Lives strand.
As Pope Francis prepares to visit Ireland this August, this documentary explores people's relationship with the holy father and how it has changed over the decades, and examines how historically, a picture of his holiness in the home has always been a source of great comfort to thousands of Catholics across the land.
For 40 years, Alex Macdonald has stalked the hills and glens above Fort William, as did his father, grandfather and great-grandfather before him. Now he wants to hand his expertise onto a fifth generation - his 15-year-old son. In this intimate portrait of a unique way of life, we follow Alex through the ferocity of one of Scotland's worst winters to the high heat of summer, as he manages the 3,000 red deer that populate the Achnacarry estate.
Documentary celebrating brass banding in Wales. It follows the Cory and Tredegar Bands as they prepare to battle it out to be crowned Welsh Champions at the national finals.
Self-confessed nerd Ed Byrne lands in Northern Ireland to discover a dedicated community of people who enjoy comic books and movies so much they transform themselves into superheroes for fun.
Jamie Genevieve is a 25-year-old from the small town of Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire, who is one of the most-followed beauty bloggers in Britain with over one million followers on Instagram and 800,000 on YouTube. This documentary follows her over the course of a year, revealing what the life of a social media influencer is really like. Part of the Our Lives documentary strand.
Documentary following the fortunes of a Sikh-run semi-professional football team in Gravesend, Kent, as they face their toughest season yet. For the first time Punjab United are facing a relegation battle, and the stresses are starting to show. But will the bonds made in times of triumph hold strong when their backs are against the wall? Nihal Arthanayake narrates.
Documentary following people as they prepare for the British Pie Awards in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, hoping to win the coveted Pie of Pies trophy. Past winners have seen their small businesses boom and their prized pies sold in Harrods, and once Rev Kevin Ashby's ceremonial blessing is over, old rivalries set butchers against bakers and region against region.
Documentary following the work of the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team, with leader Willie Anderson and his 50-strong crew of volunteers saving lives in the region. Covering 2,000 sq miles of one Britain's wildest landscapes, they battle blizzards, avalanches and 100mph winds as they respond to emergencies.
Dame Kelly Holmes explores the rise of parkrun and the mental health benefits of running, in the build-up to the launch of a new run in Northern Ireland.
The Cullen family have been bringing all the fun of the fair to people's doorsteps since 1860. Our Lives looks at this unique way of life and explores whether it's in danger of becoming extinct or if the next generation of Cullens can keep the family tradition alive.
Ruddy Muddy is a white van man with a difference. He's an artist who uses mud to create amazing paintings on the side of his van.
Following the Scharer family, the new wardens of Bardsey, a remote island off north west Wales. Arriving alone and totally isolated, they immediately face many challenges.
This Our Lives documentary follows the new lives of the Syrian refugee families who've made the small Scottish island of Bute their home.
The World Stone Skimming Championship is held on the tiny Scottish island of Easdale every year. Two obsessed skimmers show us what it takes to become the world's best.
Northern Soul is more than just music to Anthony Flavin - it’s a way of life. Anthony has grown up in care from the age of six. His great passions in life are music, fashion and films from the sixties and seventies, and his love for Northern Soul music tops them all. This heart-warming film follows Anthony in the run-up to his 18th birthday as he finds his place on Nottingham’s Northern Soul scene. With help from his keyworker Luke and a collection of Northern Soul friends, he is about to take his first steps as a DJ and towards an independent life. Has he mastered the decks in time to get this discerning crowd on the dancefloor?
An intimate portrait of a family-run roadside recovery business in the Scottish Highlands, as they rescue stranded motorists on some of the most remote roads in Britain.
Our Lives goes inside a bingo hall in the heart of West Belfast, meeting some of the regulars who have known each other through thick and thin.
When Lily Rice became the first person in Britain to land a wheelchair backflip, her life was transformed. Now she must overcome her greatest fear.
The bruising battle to be crowned Britain’s best bhangra dancers. Indian folk dance gets competitive in this Our Lives documentary which goes behind the silk and sequins at the world’s biggest bhangra dance contest. It follows two rival teams as they shed blood, sweat and tears in their quest to win the coveted trophy in their home city of Birmingham.
In Cardiff, a unique driving centre has the power to decide if higher-risk drivers who’ve lost their licence through illness or accident are safe to be back behind the wheel.
An intimate portrait of caravan life on the Ards Peninsula in Northern Ireland, telling the personal stories of those who leave their problems behind in the city and escape to the seaside.
Whatever is happening in the outside world, life in Colchester zoo goes on. Curator Sarah Forsyth is heading into the busiest summer of her life keeping countless animals happy.
Pink Dreams follows grandmother Lorraine as she performs her tribute act to a megastar 20 years younger, Pink.
Residents of a pioneering Welsh eco-village, Brithdir Mawr, are in a race against time to raise £1m to save their homes and their way of life before the lease expires.
Documentary about an LGBTQ+ community planning the first rural Pride parade in Mid Ulster.
At the age of 47, Cath Pendleton has decided to try to swim a mile in the icy waters of Antarctica. With no real money or support team behind her, will her determination be enough to see her through?
High wire walker Chris Bullzini risks death to wow the crowds. Now he faces his biggest challenge yet.
Tricia Mailey and two of her children were born with achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism. Their experiences have given them a very different perspective on the world.
Documentary following the expansion of Aberdeen Harbour, one of Britain’s busiest ports.
For generations horses have been part of life around Swansea. Times are changing, but there's one thing that still binds the horse communities together - the drives.
Young sheep farmer Chloe delivers 1,000 lambs on the family farm in the Peak District.
The stories of interwoven lives during the peat-cutting season on the stunning Isle of Lewis.
The remarkable story of one man and his walk round the coast of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, including all the offshore islands - a journey, he reckons, of almost 20,000 miles.
Charity ambassador, model and actress, Bernadette Hagans celebrates the 'inclusion revolution' and makes history as the first amputee to take part in Miss Northern Ireland.
This documentary reveals the story of the Scots Asian-run hillwalking group helping people from ethnic minority backgrounds explore the great outdoors.
Leah was abandoned as a baby in a Manchester hospital toilet. Twenty-six years later, she is determined to find out who she is and where she came from.
Jonny Cotsen is an actor and a father of two children, and he’s deaf. He wants to know why he was brought up as if he could hear and whether it’s too late to embrace his deaf identity.
The kids dreaming of becoming motorcycle superstars. Northern Ireland has produced some of the world’s most famous racers, but have the demands of the sport gone too far?
Cornwall has a secret giant wave. Champion surfer Tom Butler is on a mission to find this monster off the wild north Cornish coast, but will it be too dangerous to ride?
The Queen Charlotte’s Ball is the most prestigious debutante ball in the world. This is the story of Jasleen, the first debutante of Indian heritage at the London season.
Chloe is an 18-year-old from Perthshire. Darts is her life, and she is aiming to break into the Scottish ladies' team for the first time.
Our Lives follows Dena Murphy, a wise-cracking 93-year-old helping young offenders back onto the straight and narrow as they do community service on an allotment in Manchester.
Sarah is the fourth generation of her family to 'take up the saw', working across the forests of the Central Highlands of Scotland with her family.
Bridal shop owner Rebecca is a champion of body positivity as she helps plus-size brides-to-be celebrate their curves and find their dream wedding dresses.
Dai Chant, the legendary coxswain of the St Davids lifeboat, returns to the sea after 30 years ashore to revisit the scene of his most daring rescue.
An extraordinary organic explosion of street art in Port Talbot, inspired by Banksy, sees the creation of over 40 new murals that transform the town.
To escape rising house prices, 33 families decide to build their own street in Leeds. But sharing cars and deciding what colour to paint the front doors proves problematic.
Sheepdogs from Wales are currently in demand all over the world and reach record breaking prices. We follow mid Wales's top trainers to see what makes our sheepdogs so special.
Jousting knights on horseback and gun-slinging, acrobatic cowboys. Behind the scenes with Scotland’s stunt horse team.
Having been raised Welsh by his adoptive white parents, Gerallt Wyn Jones finds the courage at last to go looking for his birth parents. In 1973, born black to a white unwed mother, Gerallt was given away when he was only a few weeks old.
Will the women motorcyclists of Wales be part of a successful world record attempt and inspire a new generation of bikers?
With the Wales Strong Woman competition coming up, two Aberdare women share the highs and the lows of competing in a sport that has given them so much more than physical strength.
Observational documentary following Patricia Page, known as the Rat Woman, who is on a mission to rid the homes, businesses and streets of Northern Ireland of the rats, cockroaches and wasps. For many, this a man's job, but Patricia, one of the only female pest controllers in the country, is unfazed by this work – in fact she is the daughter of the legendary Rat Man.
Natalie Ray is a 30-year-old mum of four, married to cage-fighting pro Stevie ‘Braveheart’ Ray. This is the tale of his one million dollar fight, told through Natalie’s eyes.
The stakes have never been higher for elite gymnast Rhys McClenaghan as he prepares for three major competitions that could make or break his career – but can he bring home gold?
Natasha can’t use her arms or legs, but she’s determined to sail the Atlantic. Her dad invents a way to control a boat with her breath, and the family set out across the world.
It's knitting, but not as we know it. A warm-hearted documentary profiling the colourful lives and creations of the Swansea Yarnbombers.
Josh Quigley, a suicide survivor turned record-breaking cyclist, was pushed to the brink by alcohol. However, his life took a remarkable turn when he embarked on a transformative journey, cycling around the world. Now, fueled by a second chance, he pushes himself to the limits in pursuit of a coveted spot in the World Championships.
Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) is a mountain that people keep coming back to. It’s the most popular mountain in Britain, and it’s getting busier each year. People are prepared to queue for up to 45 minutes at peak times to climb the final few steps to the summit, to take that all-important picture. Yr Wyddfa already attracts around 750,000 people a year. As the summit’s visitor centre prepares to re-open, and the famous train carries passengers to the very top for the first time since October 2019, a record number of visitors are expected in 2023. It looks like being their busiest summer yet.
A determined young Formula One dyno technician chases her dream to be a racing driver. Isla Mackenzie has a sought-after role at one of the world's top Formula One teams, testing engines for some of the biggest names in motorsport. But Isla always had the thirst to succeed as a driver herself. This season, she has been signed up by a team that has seen her potential, and she is going for it at full speed. Isla’s rural upbringing in the Isle of Lewis in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides couldn’t seem further from the fast-paced world of motor racing. But early freedoms, from riding horses to tearing around fearlessly in old cars on the family farm, gave her a first taste of speed. Now she is training for her F3 debut and will need to draw on everything she’s learned to succeed. In the male-dominated and expensive world of motor racing, can this 29-year-old island speedster achieve her breakthrough?
An ex-aircraft engineer becomes the warden of a remote island between England and Wales.
For the first time since his release, Stephen Greer returns to the prison where he learnt to paint to teach art to offenders. Will art transform their lives as it did his?
The story of one of Britain’s great underwater forests and one man's quest to protect it. In the 1950s, the Sussex coast was a treasure trove of adventure for freediver Eric Smith, who started diving when he was 11. It was a spectacular world brimming with life and one of the most bio-diverse places on the planet. Then in 1987, after devastating winter storms and a change in fisheries laws, Eric’s vibrant kelp forests were largely reduced to a barren desert. After years of alerting the authorities to the devastation, Eric could no longer stand witness to the destruction. Along with others, his lobbying of the Sussex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority helped initiate a landmark plan to ban trawling in Sussex and allow the seabed to recover. In 2021, those efforts paid off, with a bylaw that banned trawling and protected some 300 square kilometres off the Sussex coast - the first such ban in the UK. Now, around the UK, there are 20 trawler exclusion bans under review. The
A character study of Peter Lavery, a Belfast bus driver who won £10.2m on the lottery in 1996 and has several new business enterprises launching this year, including the first whiskey distillery in the city for 90 years. The film follows the progress of Peter’s ambitious plans for a ‘floating’ distillery in the Titanic Pumphouse and the launch of a new tour boat on the River Lagan. We also look back at his lottery win, what happened to him after that, and how he coped with the turmoil of going from earning £200 a week to suddenly becoming one of Northern Ireland's richest people overnight.
Train, compete, sleep, repeat! Welcome to the world of competitive ballroom, where dreams are made and broken on the dance floor. Following Caerphilly’s finest teenage dancers at the start of the competition season, we’ll see them pull out all the stops in the run-up to Wales's first ever ballroom world championships.
Hairdressing, but not as you know it. Aberkenfig hairdresser Shelley Lane loves cutting her regular clients’ hair, but she has a completely different side to her work – creating stunning avant-garde hair designs. She competes around the world with the best but always loves coming home to Aberkenfig.
