Eleanor Domin
Content Warning: Mentions of grief, depression and suicide.
On University Mental Health Day, Channel 4 hosted an event in partnership with suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) and mental health charity Student Minds. The day included a roundtable interview with student publications and a special screening of Jack Rooke’s comedy Big Boys (2022).
According to a Student Mind survey, 1 in 4 students don’t know where to go for mental health support.
With this in mind, conversations throughout the day centred around some of the hard-hitting themes portrayed in Big Boys. Time was also taken to raise awareness about available resources, including Student Space and C.A.R.E Kit.
Produced by Roughcut TV, Big Boys returned for its third and final season on Channel 4 in February 2025. The semi-autobiographical series follows a group of friends as they deal with the ups and downs of university life.
Alongside dissertations, deadlines and dating, they also experience grief and depression.
An Alternative Ending
The show explores suicide through Danny, a character based on four of Rooke’s friends.
Rooke explained to the Independent, “Three are still here, and one is not. And it’s a direct letter to the one who’s not, in a really earnest, emotional, autobiographical way.”
Danny is a struggling student who has a strained relationship with his father. He grows up living with and caring for his nan. After her death, his mental health declines, and overwhelmed by grief and pressure, he takes his own life.
“Comedy has always been a cultural tool to reach people on their own terms.”
Despite this, the show explores the possibility of an alternative ending. Jack asks Danny what would happen if he had waited, and the show depicts what Danny’s future could have looked like, showing the audience that the future can be better if only you allow it time and space to flourish.
Leading up to the event, Jack Rooke, writer and creator of Big Boys, said: “I’m honoured Channel 4 can help put a spotlight on the organisations and charities who are actually making it better and encouraging those struggling to wait and see how life can be different and how life will always be the better choice.”
Comedy And Grief
During the roundtable discussion, Rooke describes how he was “first affected by a suicide 10 years ago this March.” He hopes the finale of Big Boys fulfils his goal of writing about suicide in a way that is “somehow comforting, funny and optimistic for those left behind.”
Speaking about using comedy as a coping mechanism to deal with grief and loss, Simon Gunning, CEO of CALM says: “Comedy has always been a cultural tool to reach people on their own terms.”
He finishes by saying something particularly poignant, which silences the interview for a few seconds: “Our greatest weapon is culture.”
Representation
In addition to this comedic element, Big Boys also has a huge cultural element. The series represents groups that are often misrepresented or underrepresented in wider conversations about mental health, such as the LGBTQ+ community.
Speaking on this, Rose Tressler, CEO of Student Minds says: “There is something that’s very different about seeing people that look like you who are really demonstrating parts of your identity that connects with you in a way that reading something that is guided towards a wider population just can’t do.”
Talking about mental health stigma among men, Rooke mentions how some shows “can present masculinity in a very 2D way.” He explains that he created Big Boys as an attempt to show masculinity in a multifaceted manner.
When To Seek Help
Dr Dom Thompson, Student Minds clinical advisor, encourages students to seek help even when their problems seem small. She says: “If it matters to you, it matters to us.
“I often get told that other people have bigger problems and worries, but it is not that comparison we are looking for.”
Joining the discussion, Tressler adds: “That’s what Jack is trying to do with Big Boys, is encourage people to not wait until that moment that they are in crisis.
“So many students feel like they’re the only ones struggling, but it’s just not the case.”
Something important that everyone gained from attending this roundtable discussion is the knowledge that we must not let the conversation end with Big Boys.
Best said by Gunning, “The final episode of Big Boys shows so clearly that the future CAN be better than the present and that there is always a reason to stay.”
Support is available if you or a friend are affected by issues raised in this article:
Student Space offers one-to-one support for whatever challenge you’re facing. Whether it’s your mental health, your studies, money, housing or relationships. They also signpost to support services tailored to specific student groups.
CALM run a helpline for anyone affected by suicide or suicidal thoughts. It’s free, anonymous and open from 5 pm to midnight every day.
Read Next:
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COPING WITH GRIEF AS A STUDENT
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A GUIDE TO RESPONSIBLE MENTAL HEALTH REPORTING
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EMPOWERING STUDENTS: UNIVERSITY MENTAL HEALTH DAY
Featured image courtesy of Marcel Strauß via Unsplash. No changes were made to this image. License found here.
