UNTOLD strand returns with series of noisy, bold, youth-focused journalism

22 May 2023

Channel 4’s UNTOLD strand returns for a second series of the back of a successful first series, which saw record-breaking streaming figures on All 4.

The second UNTOLD series will feature investigations into topics ranging from boy racers to breast reduction surgery, and debt from luxury spending among 16-34-year-olds.

Titles include, UNTOLD: The Secret World of Boy Racers, where filmmaker Ben Zand takes a deep dive into the underground, sometimes illegal, car scene in the UK, meeting ‘boy racers’ who live out the “Fast and Furious [films] in real life” seemingly oblivious to the danger to their lives and others; UNTOLD: My Big Boobs, sees presenter Jackie Adedeji meet big-breasted women across the UK and even questions her own decision not to go under the knife to reduce the weight of her own boobs; and UNTOLD: Addicted to Drip, investigates how 16-34-year-olds are getting into debt pursuing a luxury lifestyle buying designer labels, jewellery and expensive handbags they often can’t afford to.

Channel 4’s current affairs strand UNTOLD delivers digital-first investigations to viewers between the ages of 16 and 34. UNTOLD has the remit-defining, noisy and bold journalism for which Dispatches has won headlines and major awards, but its absolute focus is to produce films for younger viewers, on the subjects they care about. UNTOLD aims to hold power to account with intelligent, brave, compelling, and cheeky documentary making.

The first UNTOLD series included titles such as The Jesse Lingard Story, Inside the Shein Machine, Life After Love Island, The Secret World of Incels, Trapped in a Gang and Help! My Home is Disgusting. The popularity of the first series was backed by record streaming figures on Channel 4 (previously All4) and YouTube. UNTOLD: Life After Island has so far reached nearly 2 million viewers across Channel 4 and YouTube and UNTOLD: Inside the Shein Machine more than 1 million.

Commissioning editor of UNTOLD, Debbie Ramsay said: “I’m buzzing for viewers to see this second series of UNTOLD where 16-34-year-olds share the stories that are affecting their lives.

Series one of UNTOLD proved that younger people do care about long-form journalism and aren’t just about the fast-sell in 60 seconds. It’s a privilege to be able to tell these stories authentically and to work with new talent, new filmmakers, and production companies.”

 

Further information on new UNTOLD films, including production credits can be found here:

 

UNTOLD: The Secret World of Boy Racers
Untold enters a world where 170-mile per hour races take place on public motorways in the dead of night.

 

Filmmaker Ben Zand investigates the secretive world of the UK’s new boy racers and rides along as they reach terrifying speeds.

 

He meets those running social media accounts with tens of thousands of followers viewing extreme, dangerous, and even illegal driving and heads to car meets across the UK.

He sees first hand how some of this new generation of car enthusiasts revel in a game of cat and mouse with police. New figures reveal the police tactic of seizing vehicles is on the rise but seems to be having little effect on the scene.

 

Credits:

Presenter and Writer Benjamin Zand

Producer and Director Charlie Mole

Assistant Producer George Grafton

Executive Producers for ZANDLAND Benjamin Zand and Josh Reynolds

A Zandland Production for Channel 4

 

 

UNTOLD: My Big Boobs

British boobs seem to be getting bigger, and that’s not good news for everyone. A struggling NHS and a rising demand for breast reduction has seen the number of 16-24-year-old women having the surgery privately rocket.

 

Podcaster and body confidence champion Jackie Adedeji, herself a big-breasted woman, meets people with big boobs from across UK. Some tell her about the pain the weight of their bust brings, the difficulty they have exercising and the horrors of being overly sexualised when they were schoolgirls, while others celebrate their bigger boobs. She follows one woman’s private surgery after being turned down by the NHS and meets another who successfully crowdfunded their P-cup breast reduction.

 

Jackie speaks to doctors about the reasons NHS surgery is so difficult to come by and is even left questioning her own decision to not to go under the knife.

 

Credits:

Presenter - Jackie Adedeji

Executive Producer - Jaimie D'Cruz

Series Producer - Karolina Mottram

Producer/Director - Paula Haydock

Editor - Henry Norgrove

 

 

UNTOLD: Addicted to Drip

Drip has never been bigger: designer labels, bespoke jewellery pieces, and lavish living plays out wherever you look on social media. It’s a lifestyle traditionally associated with ultra-high net worth individuals, but it’s increasingly being pursued by 16–34-year-olds, often without the wealth to match the aspiration. 

 

Presenter and comedian David Whitely, also known as Sideman, meets those who've lost tens of thousands in the pursuit of luxury. As a walking drip-free Zone, David doesn’t understand why anyone would spend more than they have on something they don’t need but reveals exclusive figures showing that almost half of younger Brits have gone into debt after purchasing a luxury item. 

 

While drip is getting some into financial trouble, for others it’s opened doors. Like, Drew a young TikTok creator who gave up a degree in medicine to launch his own clothing label, and Chiefer Dcypha, a jeweller from Tottenham whose business sells bespoke high-end jewellery, usually diamonds, to music and sports stars.

 

Meeting the winners and losers, David finds out what happens when drip gets extreme.

 

Credits:

Presenter: David Whitely

Executive Producer - Jaimie D'Cruz

Series Producer - Karolina Mottram

Producer/Director - Craig Chambers

Editor - Ross Cameron

 

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For further information, please contact CHall@Channel4.co.uk or Press_Enquiries@Channel4.co.uk