Prince William has taken part in a royal special episode of BBC Radio Five Live’s hugely popular 'That Peter Crouch Podcast', in support of the 'Heads Up' campaign.
Entitled That Prince William Episode, the podcast sees the Duke of Cambridge, Crouch, Tom Fordyce and Chris Stark discuss the importance of talking about mental health, and the role that football can play in supporting people’s mental wellbeing.
Ahead of the Heads Up FA Cup Final on Saturday, the conversation also covers the return of football during the coronavirus pandemic, and The Duke’s experiences of playing football and watching matches as a fan.
The episode was recorded in two parts – at Kensington Palace in March, and via video call earlier this month.
On the Heads Up campaign, William said: “We all have mental health, and we all have to stay mentally fit… It’s a strength to talk about your mental health, it’s not a weakness. You know if you’re not feeling well, something’s bothering you, talk about it – it’s not a problem.”
Discussing opening up about his mental health, Crouch said: “I’m in the environment where it’s so male-orientated, and any weakness shown is an excuse not to make it… When I started talking about it and opened up, I did feel so much better, and that was just through talking.”
Heads Up is a season-long campaign spearheaded by His Royal Highness which uses the influence and popularity of football to show the nation that mental health is just as important as physical health.
The campaign will culminate at this weekend’s Heads Up FA Cup Final which has been officially renamed in honour of mental health awareness, helping to spark a national conversation about mental health.
Crouch previously appeared on the BBC’s documentary A Royal Team Talk alongside The Duke in May 2019.
The documentary saw Peter open up for the first time about the verbal abuse he suffered as a teenager and young adult, and the impact this had upon his mental health.
