Every Parent's Worst Nightmare

BBC One’s The Child In Time is set to be compelling viewing. We speak to one dad who knows the awful reality behind the on-screen drama…

- Kristina Beanland

It’s hard to imagine something quite so horrific. one minute your child is by your side, the next they’re gone. and this month, BBC one brings this terrifying scenario to life as it airs its much-anticipated drama, The Child in Time. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Kelly Macdonald, it follows a couple dealing with the aftermath of their only child going missing and the strain it has on their marriage.

Based on the novel by Ian McEwan, even seasoned actor Benedict struggled with such a harrowing subject. ‘When you’re dealing with the loss of a child, it’s distressing,’ he said. ‘It was an unpleasant place to go to.’

And for some parents, it’s a storyline that’s all too real. Here, we speak to one dad who reveals the truth behind the drama…

‘LIFE BECAME UNBEARABLE’

Kevin Gosden, 51, lives in Doncaster with his wife, Glenys, 53.