Alex Brooker to tackle Man V Fat for Channel 4

19 June 2013

Channel 4 has commissioned a one off documentary from Mentorn Media to be presented by Alex Brooker about the changing relationship between men and weight loss.

In 2012, it was reported that 80 per cent of men were concerned about body shape, whilst in February of this year, the NHS and Social Care Information Centre stated that 65 per cent of British men are overweight. 

The 1x60 documentary, Alex Brooker: Man V Fat (w/t) was commissioned by Lina Prestwood for Channel 4 and will look into the growing cultural phenomenon of male obsession with weight and body image. The programme will follow Channel 4 and The Last Leg presenter Alex Brooker on his personal journey to lose weight ahead of a holiday in June. Alex has struggled with his weight since he was a teenager and with only two months to lose his target of two stone he embarks on a strict calorie-controlled diet and fitness regime in an attempt to finally get in shape.

Alex said: “I’ve been a perennial porker right from when I was a kid and I’ve decided now is the time to change all that. Most people are conscious about their weight and how they look and blokes are no different. I’m certainly no different so to make a documentary about my attempt to lose weight and also about the changing relationship between men and weight loss makes a lot of sense.”

Sharing his progress with his friends and family, he will also blog and tweet about his experiences; exploring various aspects of the current male weight loss phenomenon from extreme diets to fat burning pills, from body hacking online to body sculpting in the gym and finally the rising trend for men to resort to cosmetic surgery.

Channel 4’s  Commissioning Editor Lina Prestwood says, “This film will seek to discover exactly what it is that is driving men of all ages to be increasingly preoccupied with their weight and body image. Alex Brooker is a brilliantly engaging author into the subject, using his background in journalism to get under the skin of an issue that genuinely affects him and his friends as well. I’m very pleased to be giving a much-coveted First Cut commission to the extremely passionate Eddie Hutton-Mills, an exciting new director who has previously worked with on-screen talent such as Russell Brand and has come up through the Creative Diversity Network Mentoring scheme.”

Executive Producer for Mentorn media, Emma Morgan says, “We are thrilled to be working with Alex.  He is a great new voice – smart, authentic and very funny. Following him on his challenge to lose weight felt like the perfect vehicle to explore the growing phenomenon of young men becoming more body conscious”

The programme will air later in the summer and the Producer Director is Eddie Hutton-Mills.

Alex discusses his experiences on twitter @alexmanvsfat via Facebook www.facebook.com/Alexbrookermanvsfat and on Alex’s Blog http://manvsfatblog.wordpress.com/