Alex Thomas to revisit the story of Damilola Taylor through the eyes of those who knew him for new BBC documentary

Stern & Wild filmmaker Alex Thomas has been announced as Director of a landmark documentary series for BBC One and iPlayer exploring the final 24 hours of murdered schoolboy Damilola Taylor and the lasting impact his death has had on those who knew him, including childhood friend and Star Wars actor John Boyega.

Damilola was just 10 years old when he was fatally stabbed in November 2000 in a Peckham stairwell just metres from his home. His killing sent shockwaves through Britain and became a defining moment in the national conversation around the horrors of knife crime.

DAMILOLA TAYLOR: THE LAST 24 HOURS (w/t) will retrace the schoolboy’s final 24 hours, unpacking the backgrounds and life stories of the people who saw him on his last day as they reflect on how his death transformed their lives. John Boyega speaks on camera for the first time about being one of the last people to see Damilola alive and reveals the fears he had for his own life.

“Damilola’s story has never been told through the experience of the young people who were living it at the time,” Alex said. “This film shows what it meant to grow up in an environment shaped by fear, bullying and the need to protect yourself — and how those pressures influenced the choices people made. Twenty-five years on, those experiences still stay with them, and many of those pressures still exist for young people today.”

The series is produced for the BBC by Optomen Television and was commissioned by Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual. It was developed by Ruby Rookes, the Exec Producer is Becky Cadman, Creative Directors are Nick Hornby and Tina Flintoff, and the Producer is Nelson Adeosun. It will air later in the year.

The news comes during a remarkable week for Alex Thomas, whose powerful three-part series BIBAA & NICOLE: MURDER IN THE PARK (True Vision TV for Sky Documentaries) won the best Documentary Series prize at last night’s RTS Programme Awards and was shortlisted on Monday for best Factual Series at the upcoming BAFTA Television Awards.

Damilola Taylor (left) and his childhood friend John Boyega. Image: PA/Optomen