The new digital series features special guests to discuss grief and suicide. MTV Faces will focus on grief, loss, and mental health.
Grief can be a killer. Not being able to deal with loss affects people in different ways. I can speak from experience over this. I lost someone I loved with all my heart almost twenty years ago, and the grief I felt and still feel to this day stings. My mind couldn’t accept the loss of this person, I couldn’t accept the grief that accompanied it. And ultimately, my mental health suffered, and I still suffer from bouts of depression. Many people suffer from this alongside me, and I can understand their pain only too well.
MTV has announced a new four-part series named MTV Faces. The show will be fronted by Ashley Cain, who sadly lost his daughter to Myeloid Leukemia back in 2021. During the show, celebrity guests Brenda Edwards, Jordan Stephens, Kelsey Parker, and Roman Kemp will discuss their own feelings of loss, grief, guilt, and mental health. The series premieres on MTV UK Youtube on the 30th of March. A trailer for the show has been released online:
THE SERIES
MTV has today announced a brand-new series MTV FACES; a four-part show produced exclusively for MTV Digital, exploring themes of grief through the eyes of celebrity guests Brenda Edwards, Jordan Stephens, Kelsey Parker, and Roman Kemp.
No stranger to grief, the series will be hosted by Ashley Cain. On 24 April 2021, Ashley and Safiyya Vorajee lost their eight-month-old daughter Azaylia to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Ashley invites vulnerable conversations, with the hope of giving a true-to-life glimpse into how his guests cope when they’re having tough days, what pulls them through hard times, how their experiences have made them who they are today, and why we need to talk more openly about grief and mental health.
This groundbreaking digital series will cut straight to the core of grief presentation, creating a holding space for raw conversations, between peers who are on a level with each other’s experiences. MTV FACES hopes to normalize these sorts of conversations and the importance of processing and discussing loss and addressing mental health.
Host Ashley Cain commented: “Since losing my beautiful daughter Azaylia, my world changed. The subject of grief is something we will all experience in life, yet talking about it remains incredibly taboo. So I am proud to be a part of this crucial series, exploring and navigating through the different faces of grief that we will experience. With the help of my four incredible guests, we create a safe space for open and vulnerable conversations, of the pain and struggle but also the beauty and strength in grief, whilst also tackling the stigma that surrounds mental health. Welcome to MTV FACES.”
The series promises to be brutally honest, tackling the stigma around mental health and showcasing the many FACES of grief.
MTV FACES
MTVFACES premieres on the MTV YouTube channel on 30th March and weekly thereafter.
Episode One features Kelsey Parker and is live on 30th March
Episode Two features Brenda Edwards and is live 6th of April
Episode Three features Roman Kemp and is live 13th of April
Episode Four features Jordan Stephens and is live 20th of April
MTV FACES has been created by MTV Entertainment Group’s in-house team headed up by Cat Collins, VP of Digital for MTV Entertainment Group International. Directed and Executive Produced by Amie Parker-Williams, the series was produced by Will Clempner Clarke and art direction by Dayna Murphy.
THE GUESTS
The guests in this series have all faced and talked publicly about their personal experiences with grief.
Episode One will see Kelsey Parker, who recently lost her husband Tom (from The Wanted) after he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer called glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Since Tom’s passing, Kelsey has been raising awareness and funding for brain tumor charities, and in December 2022 was the subject of a six-part documentary series – Life After Tom.
Episode Two will include Brenda Edwards who lost her son – SBTV’s founder, Jamal Edwards MBE – at 31. Brenda has talked about how her son died while she held his hand, an experience that has had a profound effect upon her. Since Jamal’s death, Brenda has set up the Jamal Edwards Self Belief Trust, with an objective to support causes that mattered the most to Jamal – targeting the three key areas of homelessness, mental health issues, and providing young people with essential life skills.
Episode Three will feature Roman Kemp who lost one of his good friends and long-time colleague Joe Lyons when he took his own life in 2020. Since Joe’s passing, Roman has been very vocal about the importance of men talking to each other, about his grieving process and he has played an important part in setting up Joe’s BuddyLine with Joe’s family – an initiative that aims to promote and protect the mental health of young people, from primary school to university.
Episode Four will see Jordan Stephens (Rizzle Kicks) speak about a pivotal moment in his life, when he had a total breakdown, as a result of, what he realized were, years’ worth of repressed feelings around the death of his beloved Gran. Immediately after Jordan started self-medicating to try and deal with and suppress his grief. After finally allowing himself to work through his feelings, Jordan feels in a much healthier place after coming to terms with the impact his loss had on him.
MTV Faces will premiere on the MTV UK Youtube channel on March 30th.
Do you suffer from mental health issues? Do you have feelings of grief and loss that you cannot overcome? Do you suffer from suicidal thoughts? If so, please contact a medical professional who can talk through your issues and give you a friendly ear.
One such organization is The Samaritans, who you can contact here. Please don’t suffer alone or in silence. Reach out to someone who can help you through what you are dealing with. You are not alone.
Source: MTV UK
Author
Carl Roberts is the News Editor of The Future of the Force. Aside from being our horror genre aficionado, he is also passionate about Star Wars, Marvel, DC, and the Indiana Jones movies. Follow him on Twitter where he uses the force frequently!
