Freddie reveals hidden pain of sports stars

I found BBC1’s ‘Freddie Flintoff: Hidden Side of Sport’ depressing. That of course was the subject of the programme - so maybe I shouldn’t be too surprised.

The broadcast last week focused on the popular cricketer’s take on depression within the rather privileged circle of professional sportsmen.

Flintoff confronted his own issues as captain of England. He revealed that many top sportsmen suffer in silence or hide behind irresponsible behaviour, until it all becomes too much.

The programme, though interesting throughout, was a little too anecdotal. It was made up of a series of chats rather than interviews between Flintoff and fellow members of the sporting elite who had also suffered from depression. Despite slick editing as you would expect on the BBC, the show somehow lacked direction, and left me with more questions than answers, but also a certain amount of gratitude that the Almighty had seen fit to ensure none of my progeny are mega-gifted sporty types – it seems way too dangerous!

For example, football hard man and latterly star of the silver screen, Vinnie (I’ve got Gazza by the short and curlies) Jones, pitched up in his very expensive kitchen to tell us about the time he seriously considered walking into the woods with a shotgun. In fact Flintoff got to see the inside of most of his super rich subject’s homes, he even commented on how nice Ricky Hatton’s pile was, an unnecessary comment that somehow took a little of the gravitas away from the message he was trying to get over.

Others talking about their depression included: pugilists Barry McGuigan and Ricky Hatton; Flintoff’s friend and fellow cricketer, Steve Harmison; Celtic manager Neil Lennon and former snooker World Champion Graeme Dott. Dott courageously admitted he is still on medication and cannot envisage a time when he will not be. Flintoff said he wanted to give the potting genius a hug.

What this programme needed was more hard facts, a proper TV journalist to do the interviewing, with Freddie as the main protagonist throughout and perhaps a little less repetition. In fact (and I can’t believe I am writing this) the most illuminating ‘chat’ was Freddie’s face-to-face with former Daily Mirror Editor, Piers Morgan. Now that really was riveting stuff with Flintoff admitting that what the ex-red top journalist had to say really did make him think.

In 2007 Flintoff lost the England vice-captaincy after a session of binge drinking because of depression. He never read the press coverage at the time but admits if he had it could have put him over the edge as Fleet Street’s finest devoted seemingly endless column inches to his troubles.

If you missed it, you can still watch the programme on BBC iPlayer.