Edge of darkness

Cricketer Ben Stokes opens up about his mental-health struggles in a very personal documentary

Ben Stokes: Phoenix from the Ashes

NEW

Available: Friday 26 August

Genre: Documentary

Cricketer Ben Stokes became a household name in 2019 when he won BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year thanks to his man-of-the-match performance for England as they defeated New Zealand to win the World Cup.

Yet just a year later, the star all-rounder took an indefinite break from the game to prioritise his mental wellbeing and spend time with his father, Gerard, who was terminally ill.

Now, the recently appointed England Test captain comes under the spotlight in a no-holds-barred feature-length documentary, Ben Stokes: Phoenix from the Ashes, from Oscar-winning film director Sir Sam Mendes, who interviews Stokes on screen about the moment his mental health hit rock bottom.