Prince Harry has announced that the TV show he is working on with Oprah Winfrey will focus on stories of the “human spirit fighting back from the darkest places.”
Harry and Oprah are co-producers on the new series, which is due to launch on the Apple streaming service next year.
Harry told the Telegraph’s Bryony Gordon that he was inspired by the response to a podcast he recorded with her, in which he discussed how he came close to having a breakdown as a result of not adequately processing the trauma that resulted from his mother’s death. “It made me realize what an impact sharing my story could have, and what an impact other stories can have for so many who are suffering silently,” he said. “If the viewers can relate to the pain and perhaps the experience, then it could save lives, as we will focus on prevention and positive outcomes.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Harry said that he and Oprah “are assembling subject-matter experts as an advisory board to the series, the main reason being we appreciate this is a multi-faceted subject—and we have a huge responsibility to get this right.”
The Telegraph says that the idea for the series came about after Harry met Oprah and the two realized they shared a passionate interest in mental health. Harry has hosted numerous secret meetings with Oprah in London and has helped to select the show’s creative team.
“I’m very much still on my own path,” Harry tells the Telegraph: “What I have learned and I continue to learn in the space of mental health, mental illness, and self-awareness is that all roads lead back to our mental well-being, how we look after ourselves and each other.”
