Emily Atack will investigate whether enough is being done to protect young women and girls against online sexual harassment in a BBC2 doc produced by Little Gem.
In Emily Atack: Sexual Harassment & Me (w/t) Atack continues the debate she brought to parliament in February to try and make cyber-flashing – the sending of obscene pictures to strangers online - illegal. She will ask why she has been harassed online from a very young age, sharing her DMs, and opening up to her family for the first time.
She will also try to understand the psychology behind this behaviour and try to speak with some of the men who send sexually explicit content.
The 60-minute doc was commissioned by head of commissioning, factual entertainment and events, Catherine Catton, with commissioning editor Max Gogarty. The exec producers at Wedding Valley indie Little Gem are Damian Kavanagh and Claire Hughes and the director is Alana McVerry.
“Over the last two and a half years I’ve been speaking out about my own personal experiences of online sexual harassment,” said Atack.
“Within that time, one thing has become clear, I’m not alone. With this documentary, I am hoping to find answers to the many questions I’ve been asking myself my entire life, and I hope it will go on to help thousands of others too.”
Catton said: “It’s an incredibly brave undertaking for [Atack] and we appreciate her honesty and openness. We have no doubt that the film will contribute to a very important conversation.”
Little Gem produced last year’s BBC1 doc Paul Merson: Football, Gambling and Me in which the former England and Arsenal footballer Paul Merson opened up about his gambling problem.
Atack will also feature alongside Ruby Wax and Melanie Brown in BBC2 travelogue Trailblazers, in which they re-trace the footsteps of explorer Isabella Bird in the Rocky Mountains.
SEX PEST HELL
I’ve been sexually harassed online daily from a young age by pests – now I’m going to find out why, says Emily Atack
