TOM DALEY SURROGACY DOCUMENTARY 'SHELVED BY BBC'
When Tom announced he was having a baby with his husband Dustin Lance Black, he became one of a growing number of parents who are having children through surrogacy.
In 2018, the BBC commissioned a one-off documentary where Tom and Dustin were due to set out to examine a modern phenomenon that they have a strong personal connection to.
The BBC shared at the time: First, Tom will explore how surrogacy works in the UK, where it’s illegal to advertise for or pay surrogates except for reasonable expenses.
He’ll also travel to California, where commercial surrogacy, complete with contracts between surrogates and want-to-be parents, is much more the norm. His journey will also take him to one of the European countries where surrogacy is totally illegal.
Tom wants to find out why some women are prepared to become surrogates. He wants to explore the extraordinary relationships that develop between those wanting to become parents and their surrogates.
He wants to meet the people who oppose surrogacy, asking why they want to stop people like him and Lance having a child via a surrogate. And, with commercial surrogacy currently illegal in the UK, he’ll meet those who want to change the country’s laws.
A source told The Sun: "There’s been some scratching of heads among observers as it was strange to unveil plans only for them to be shelved. Tom would have had some idea what is involved in making a documentary and training...
"After all, he has competed at the Games in 2008, 2012 and 2016. But producers understood there was a time limit in which the documentary could be made."
A BBC spokesperson said (via The Sun): "Due to Tom’s sporting commitments in the run-up to the 2020 Olympics, he was unable to film...
"Given the topicality of the subject and its exploration of the arguments for and against a change in the law, he agreed with the BBC it would have been impossible to complete the film in a satisfactory way that would have accurately reflected the situation at the time."