Prince William and Kate record special BBC Radio show for World Mental Health Day

Prince William and Kate have recorded a special programme on BBC Radio One’s Newsbeat to mark World Mental Health Day.

The Prince and Princess of Wales announced on Monday evening’s show that they would lead discussions on the importance of mental health for a programme to be broadcast on BBC Radio One at 12.45pm on Tuesday.

The royal couple, who recorded the show at the Newsbeat studio on Monday, will talk to advocates and experts about young people and their mental well-being.

In the surprise announcement, Kate told BBC listeners that “Newsbeat will sound slightly different” on Tuesday.

Prince William then said: “As part of World Mental Health Day, Katherine and I have recorded a special programme taking over the radio to talk about the importance of mental health.”

The prince said they would talk about mental health tools that could provide people with coping skills and resources to ease anxiety and depression.

“You could be living one life one minute and something massively changes and you realise you don’t necessarily have the tools or the experience to be able to tackle that,” he said.

Prince William and Kate, Princess of Wales, visit Northern Ireland – in pictures

Prince William says hello to a dog during a visit to Trademarket outdoor market in Belfast. Reuters
Catherine, Princess of Wales smiles and shakes hands with well-wishers after her visit to the PIPS (Public Initiative for Prevention of Suicide and Self Harm) charity in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Thursday. EPA
The Princess of Wales is all smiles at the Trademarket. Getty Images
The Princess joins a group of volunteer counsellors packing the charity's 'Little Boxes of Hope', which are given to children to assist their ongoing recovery. EPA
Prince William and his wife Kate speak to Erin Quinn, 24, about her personal challenges and how PIPS is supporting her to overcome these. EPA
The Princess of Wales receives flowers during her visit to the PIPS. EPA
The royal couple speak to Martina McIlkenny, care team manager and Renee Quinn, PIPS executive director. Getty Images

Kate also told listeners that she would “love to know” how they look after their own mental health, which was followed by a guest then explaining his approach.

“There’s no right or wrong, that’s the thing as well. Different things will work for different people,” she said.

The prince and princess spoke to Newsbeat presenter Pria Rai, Dr Abigail Miranda, an educational and child psychologist working in early years, and Antonio Ferreira, a mental health activist had undifferentiated schizophrenia and emotionally unstable personality disorder diagnosed as a teenager.

They also spoke to Ben Cowley, a registered music therapist and assistant mental health adviser for the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and Emma Hardwell, a youth participation officer at The Mix, which offers mental health support to those under the age of 25.

Prince William and his wife Kate visit Wales - in pictures

Prince William and his wife Kate receive flowers from four-year-old Theo Crompton during their visit to the RNLI Holyhead Lifeboat Station in Wales. Getty Images
The Princess of Wales waves to the crowds. PA
This is the prince and princess' first trip to Wales since the royal family returned to official duties following the end of their mourning period for Queen Elizabeth II. Getty Images
Kate speaks with four-year-old Theo Crompton. PA
The prince and princess of Wales inside the RNLI Holyhead Lifeboat Station. AFP
The prince and princess visit the Holyhead Marine Cafe and Bar. PA

“What was discussed today will resonate with so many of our listeners and it means so much to us that we can all work together to help tackle the stigma around this issue,” said Aled Haydn Jones, head of BBC Radio One.

Danielle Dwyer, editor of Newsbeat, said: “Talking about mental well-being without stigma or judgment is so key and it’s brilliant to welcome the Prince and Princess of Wales to our reporting team for the day, to join us in such a vital conversation."

Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales thank staff in Windsor - in pictures

The Prince and Princess of Wales visit the Windsor Guildhall to thank volunteers and staff who worked on the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Reuters
Catherine, Princess of Wales, meets the volunteers. AP
Prince William shakes hands with one of the volunteers. AP
The pair arrived at Windsor Guildhall on Thursday for their first royal engagement since the monarch’s funeral. Reuters
The prince and princess arrived dressed in dark colours as they continue to observe the royal mourning period which lasts until Monday. AP
The engagement is one of their first since Prince William became the heir apparent and became known as the Prince of Wales, after the death of his grandmother and the accession of his father, Charles, to become king. PA
The Princess of Wales passes on her appreciation to volunteers and staff who contributed to the queen's funeral service at St George’s Chapel on Monday afternoon. AP

Rai said: “People not only switch us on to get the news, but to share openly and frankly how they are feeling.

“That’s humbling, to be a trusted part of people’s lives enough that they can send us a text about feeling lonely, or having lost a loved one.

“We have total strangers speaking to each other on the radio who soon feel like familiar friends and that’s a really important, uplifting part of what we do.”