Acclaimed actor and presenter Jimmy Akingbola is shining a light on the realities of growing up in the care system in ITV documentary ‘Jimmy Akingbola Handle With Care’, airing tonight on ITV.
Ahead of the show airing, a clip has been released showing Jimmy talking to his foster siblings about racism they experienced growing up.
At two years old Jimmy was uprooted from his Nigerian family and fostered by a white British family, who raised him alongside their birth children as if he were their own. Now living in the bright lights of Hollywood with a glittering career, Bel-Air star Jimmy returns home to Britain to reflect on how his upbringing shaped him.
Jimmy speaks to his own foster family and biological siblings about their feelings and meets fellow actor Lenny James and retired Olympic athlete Kriss Akabusi, who both share their own personal stories of foster and adopted care and children’s homes, good and bad.
While exploring themes of identity, abandonment, the importance of role models and cultural connection, this thoughtful, engaging and emotional film, directed by Andy Mundy-Castle, considers whether a loving family, no matter their ethnicity, is always more important than racial or cultural differences.
‘Jimmy Akingbola Handle With Care’ airs tonight at 9pm on ITV.
