In My Own Words

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2025
Season 2
5 episodes

Arts and culture
Documentary

Summary

Get up close to artists, writers, actors, comedians and poets – and discover both what fires their imaginations and the forces that have shaped their extraordinary lives.

Episode 1: Frederick Forsyth

Summary

Late thriller writer Frederick Forsyth reflects on his life and tells stories of how he became the youngest ever RAF pilot, a Reuters foreign correspondent, a BBC reporter and an MI6 informant. He also shares what happened to inspire his first novel The Day of the Jackal and what it was like to become a millionaire almost overnight

Review

Michael Hogan

As the late thriller writer says in this candid profile: “Having spent my career telling other people’s stories, I now find myself in the unusual position of subject rather than storyteller.” A compelling film finds Forsyth reflecting on a life where fact was often equally gripping as his own fiction. In a colourful career, he was an RAF pilot, a foreign correspondent, a BBC reporter covering the Nigerian civil war — and an MI6 informant.

Returning home broke, he wrote The Day of the Jackal in just over a month and became a millionaire overnight. Sadly, shortly after completing this film, Forsyth died at his home, aged 86.

How to watch

Next showing

There are no live broadcasts scheduled for this show. But it is available via the streaming provider below.

Streaming

BBC iPlayer

Details

Languages

Formats

Colour

Credits

Crew

rolenameDirectorBen AnthonyEditorToby ClarksonExecutive producerNathaniel LippiettExecutive producerDan Grabiner

All episodes

Episode 5

In My Own Words: Yinka Shonibare

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Episode 4

In My Own Words: Cornelia Parker

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Episode 3

In My Own Words: Val McDermid

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Episode 2

Tom Jones

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Episode 1

Frederick Forsyth

Summary

Late thriller writer Frederick Forsyth reflects on his life and tells stories of how he became the youngest ever RAF pilot, a Reuters foreign correspondent, a BBC reporter and an MI6 informant. He also shares what happened to inspire his first novel The Day of the Jackal and what it was like to become a millionaire almost overnight

Review

Michael Hogan

As the late thriller writer says in this candid profile: “Having spent my career telling other people’s stories, I now find myself in the unusual position of subject rather than storyteller.” A compelling film finds Forsyth reflecting on a life where fact was often equally gripping as his own fiction. In a colourful career, he was an RAF pilot, a foreign correspondent, a BBC reporter covering the Nigerian civil war — and an MI6 informant.

Returning home broke, he wrote The Day of the Jackal in just over a month and became a millionaire overnight. Sadly, shortly after completing this film, Forsyth died at his home, aged 86.

How to watch

Next showing

There are no live broadcasts scheduled for this show. But it is available via the streaming provider below.

Streaming
- BBC iPlayer
Details

Languages

Formats

Colour

Credits

Crew

rolenameDirectorBen AnthonyEditorToby ClarksonExecutive producerNathaniel LippiettExecutive producerDan Grabiner