BBC TO PRODUCE BOY GEORGE BIOPIC

The BBC has announced that it will produce a TV film, titled Worried About The Boy, about the young Boy George and his remarkable rise to become a star in the Eighties fashion and pop music scene.

Written by Tony Basgallop (Hotel Babylon) and directed by Julian Jarrold (Brideshead Revisited), the 90 minute film will depict “George’s journey from cloakroom attendant to cultural icon – from falling in love for the first time, to embracing his unique style, to meeting his Culture Club band mates”.

Producer Nicola Shindler promised that the film will show “a different side to a story everyone thinks they know”.

Newcomer Douglas Booth will play Boy George while Mathew Horne (The Catherine Tate Show) will play Culture Club drummer Jon Moss, who had a relationship with the singer. Filming starts later this month.

“Worried About The Boy will be an evocative and visually enticing drama about one of our most iconic British pop stars,” said Ben Stephenson from BBC Drama Commissioning.

It is unclear if Boy George has given his approval for the film or if he will be involved in its production.

The film is set to be screened on BBC2 later this year.