Ella Toone Opens Up on Father’s Death and July Wedding in New BBC Documentary
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 26
Ella Toone Opens Up on Father’s Death and July Wedding in New BBC Documentary
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 26
26-year-old Ella Toone says her July wedding will include an empty chair for her father Nick, whose death in September 2024 is central to the new BBC documentary 24 Hours with Ella Toone.
Three days before Nick’s 60th birthday, he died after prostate cancer; Toone returned to training the next day, then later said a November calf injury forced her to stop and properly confront her grief.
January’s 7-0 FA Cup win over West Brom marked her return after two months out, and her long-range goal — later voted Manchester United’s goal of the season — was her first since his death.
Joe Bunney, her fiance, says building the ET7 Academy fulfilled Nick’s ambition to create opportunities for girls’ football, a legacy Toone says now helps the next generation.
29 May is the documentary’s release date, with Toone describing it as a way to explain how football, family loss and her wedding plans now sit together.
How will Toone's grief and new legacy projects shape her future performance for club and country?
Is Toone's story raising crucial awareness for new prostate cancer detection methods like PSMA PET imaging?
Does publicly sharing grief help athletes heal, or does it create a new kind of performance pressure?
Ella Toone’s 24-Hour Journey: Grief, Resilience, and 200 Appearances—How England’s Star Honors Her Father and Inspires the Next Generation
Overview
The new BBC documentary "24 Hours with Ella Toone" offers an intimate look at the England footballer’s life, focusing on her emotional journey after the passing of her father, Nick Toone, in September 2024. The film, releasing on May 29, 2026, captures how Ella balances her football career, personal milestones like her upcoming wedding, and the ongoing impact of her father’s legacy. Through her openness about grief and resilience, Ella Toone emerges as a role model, showing how strong support and determination can help overcome personal loss while inspiring others both on and off the pitch.