Yahoo Movies Kate Middleton and Prince William Lead Celebrities in a 'Mental Health Minute' Broadcast
Kate Middleton and Prince William are encouraging open conversations about mental health.
On Friday, the royal couple joined well-known faces from soccer star David Beckham to singer Anne-Marie and chef Jamie Oliver in a 60-second broadcast urging U.K. citizens to continue to help others and carry on conversations about mental health struggles as the country comes to an end of its Mental Health Awareness Week.
In the PSA, William, 38, said, "It would be great to keep talking," as Anne-Maire added, "To a loved one, friend or colleague — let's keep making the conversation accessible."
And Kate, 39, then added, "Because our mental health binds every single one of us together."
Beckham, 46, summed up the message's key themes, saying, "Taking time to reflect through the most challenging of years."
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge/ youtube Kate Middleton and Prince William
Shout 85258 Twitter
The 2021 #MentalHealthMinute 📻
Featuring incredible voices including @KensingtonRoyal, David Beckham, Dame Shirley Bassey, Joanna Lumley and many more, and written by @HussainManawer in support of #Shout85258.
Over 500 UK stations united to play this important message ✨ pic.twitter.com/nhH1jJTApn— Shout 85258 (@GiveUsAShout) May 14, 2021
The Mental Health Minute, which also featured actors Joanna Lumley and Charles Dance, was broadcast on radio station around Britain at 10.59 a.m. local time. The minute-long message is in support of Shout 85258 – the 24/7 text messaging helpline developed by the couple's Royal Foundation and is the latest element of their work on the issue this week.
The combined audience of the simultaneous radio broadcast was estimated to be around 20 million. The script was penned by poet and mental health activist Hussain Manawer, who also appeared in the broadcast.
Leading up to Friday's broadcast, Beckham urged people to turn on their radios to tune in. "This year more than ever, it's important that we all keep talking," he said in a video shared on the Shout 85258 Twitter.
It's almost time for the #MentalHealthMinute 💙
At 10:59am every radio station in the UK will play an important message in support of #Shout85258, encouraging us all to keep the conversation on mental health going.
Make sure you tune in 📻 #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek pic.twitter.com/d68EwbinWK— Shout 85258 (@GiveUsAShout) May 14, 2021
Kate Middleton and Prince William
On Thursday, William and Kate visited Wolverhampton, in England's Midlands, and toured some projects helping those with mental health and also enjoyed some games with children.
"Come on, Catherine!" William said as he encouraged his wife to join his game of ping-pong. "Catherine is really good at table tennis."
As she grabbed her paddle, the couple were clearly in their element. "This could go on for hours," said William. "Talk amongst yourselves!"
Victoria Hornby, chief executive officer of Mental Health Innovations, the charity behind Shout 85258, said in a statement, "It has been an incredibly tough year for so many people and it's more important than ever that anyone who is feeling worried or overwhelmed knows where to turn, to reach out for help."
Jacob King - WPA Pool/Getty Images Prince William playing ping-pong
Jacob King/AP/Shutterstock Kate Middleton and Prince William enjoying their day out in Wolverhampton
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"Our service is here 24/7 for people to have a free, confidential text conversation with one of our trained volunteers who will listen without judgment, help you feel calm and find a way forward. Just text SHOUT to 85258 at any time of day or night; we're here for you," she added.
On Monday, Kate released a video of a touching call she made to a teen named Romy who took part in the Duchess of Cambridge's "Hold Still" photo project, which highlighted life amid lockdown.
