Gazza, a new documentary for BBC Two and BBC iPlayer, will paint a portrait of football’s tragic hero, Paul Gascoigne.
For many, Paul Gascoigne was the face of 90s Britain, making splashes across the front and back pages of newspapers at a time when the tabloid media saw a fundamental shift in their efforts to capture a huge readership. With his on-field brilliance matched only by his off-field antics, the most celebrated young footballer in the world was a newspaper editor’s dream.
Told via archive footage accompanied by contemporary narration, Gazza will tell 20 years of modern British history. Combining seminal footballing action and cultural moments from the time, with never-before-seen archive and personal home videos, the powerful series will offer a unique and personal insight into Paul Gascoigne’s life.
Gazza explores the intense pressures that come with fame and the fallout when a cheeky and charming young, working-class footballer from Newcastle is met with a rabid press who will go to extreme lengths to get the latest scoop on one of England’s most controversial stars.
The series will offer a startling new perspective on the profoundly amoral and illegal lengths some of the tabloid press went to gain access to Gascoigne’s private life.
With contributions from Paul’s friends, family, his former agents and advisors, former teammates and coaches, and some of the tabloid journalists who write about him, Gazza will tell the footballer’s infamous story in a way never seen before.
Paul Gascoigne commented: “This is the real story of my time in football - the good and the bad of who I am - and what really happened around me. So much of this has never been seen before. It feels good to be telling my side of the story and to be working with the Western Edge Pictures team and the BBC, who have delivered this in the best way possible to my fans.”
Commissioning Editor, Simon Young added: “Paul's story is a cautionary tale about the pressure of life in the public eye, and we are privileged that he, his family and friends, and those who wrote stories about him at the time, have chosen to work with us on such a startlingly honest portrayal.”
