Trigger warning: this article includes mention of suicide and other topics that readers may find disturbing.
John Balson, the TV producer who tragically took his own life last May, told numerous health professionals he was having suicidal thoughts and flagged “work-related stress” on several occasions to them in the weeks leading up to his death.
This evidence was delivered at Balson’s inquest, which took place yesterday nearly a year after he took his own life on May 17 after jumping off the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge. In the months leading up to his death, Balson had been working on Channel 4’s In The Footsteps of Killers and Channel 4’s investigation is still to report back. Balson, who was 40 when he died, had told family and health professionals he was suffering from stress, exhaustion and subsequently intense physical pain associated with vestibular migraine disorder.
Yesterday at the inquest, which was attended by Balson’s widow, mother and brothers, the coroner’s court was told by several medical professionals that he had spoken in the weeks leading up to his death of having suicidal thoughts. On at least two occasions he spoke about jumping off a bridge – the final occasion just two days before he died. He was deemed by professionals to be at varying levels of risk of suicide during this time, the court heard.
“Despite all the consultations and medication prescribed, John decided to end his life,” said the coroner, Roger Hatch, summing up. “I sadly conclude that his death was due to suicide.” Coroner’s courts in the UK set out to answer four questions – who died, when and where did they die, and how did they come by their death – and do not apportion blame or place anyone on trial.
The court heard from several medical professionals across a three-hour hearing, many of whom said Balson had discussed having suicidal ideations due to the physical discomfort he was experiencing, which he had described as intense physical pain in his head and chest along with constant dizziness.
Questions were raised during the hearing over why he was not sectioned, referred for in-patient care or kept a closer eye on by medical professionals from around the middle of April onwards. On April 21, Balson was rated as “high risk” by a doctor he was seeing after talking about self-harm and suicidal ideation, and the doctor told the coroner’s court that Balson’s mother felt she “couldn’t keep him safe” at the time. A day later, he visited Accident & Emergency (A&E) and was discharged without a psychological risk assessment despite being told he should be assessed.
By May 15 – just two days before he died – he was describing feelings of “helplessness and hopelessness” to doctors and had mentioned wanting to jump off a bridge although “denied intent,” according to a doctor addressing the court.
When a lawyer representing Balson’s family yesterday asked this doctor why he was not referred for in-patient care, the doctor said she felt there was “no immediate risk” and “he did not intend to act on suicidal thoughts” due to his closeness to his family.
“I was convinced when he said he wanted to be with his family that these were protective factors [that would stop him from committing suicide],” the doctor added.
Elsewhere, A mental health professional from a trust where he was being seen said Balson had been risk assessed for in-patient care in the weeks before his death, but Balson at that point had not wanted to be committed to in-patient care and the trust had respected his wishes. A report from that professional added that Balson’s family felt they were “not being allowed to express opinions” during these sessions. The local trust said it is investigating and will publish findings to avoid a repeat.
Perhaps most alarming yesterday was the GP’s report to the coroner. Three weeks before his death, the GP said Balson was “saying he wanted to end it all” and had “told A&E doctors that he wanted to jump off a bridge.”
A counselor then reported to this GP that Balson was closer to acting on his suicidal thoughts and had said this was “the last time he would speak to me,” implying he was considering ending his life. At that point the counselor felt the “protective factors” of Balson’s family were “diminishing.”
“Work-related stress”
During these final few weeks, Balson had stopped working. In The Footsteps of Killers producer Alaska TV has previously declined to comment on whether they were aware Balson was suffering at this time. It has said the wellbeing of its employees is of “paramount importance,” but declines to comment further, citing Channel 4’s ongoing investigation.
Balson’s heartwrenching final letter to his family was read out in court yesterday and included connections Balson made with overwork in TV production and his mental health issues – which we have previously reported – that then morphed into physical symptoms. In his note, Balson flagged the pressure of working on projects that felt like they were failing and said he had received threats from someone associated with a person he was researching.
“He felt the [physical] symptoms were brought on by work-related stress which he mentioned in a consultation,” said the GP’s report. “Suicidal ideation came as a result of the [physical] symptoms becoming unbearable. It was clear he had been making plans for a while.”
The GP said Balson had “expressed concerns over stress working on a documentary about pedophile cases,” while he told a different doctor that “he shouldn’t have done so much work as a documentary filmmaker.” The impact of this work had been compounded by the death of his brother when he was in his 20s, Balson had said.
Understandably after a long day yesterday, Balson’s family declined comment on the court proceedings. Balson’s widow Yumeno Niimura has previously told us that his death “is a failure of the industry.”
Channel 4’s report into Balson’s death will publish in the coming weeks, we are told. There are still question marks over whether the show he was working on, In The Footsteps of Killers Season 3, will air. His death led to a great deal of introspection around the dangers of overwork in factual TV and this will no doubt continue long into 2025.
A gofundme page has been set up for Balson’s family and donations can be made here.
Suicide is preventable and support can be found via the Samaritans, National Suicide Prevention Helpline and other organizations. The Film and TV Charity’s Support Line is open 24 hours a day and is available to everyone working in the industry, whether freelance or employee. It provides in-the-moment help from trained counsellors, as well as access to other mental health support. Partners and adult children of people working in the industry are also able to access help. Call 0800 054 0000 or visit www.filmtvcharity.org.uk to start a Live Chat.
In the U.S., a list of helplines can be found here and information on suicide prevention from the National Institute of Mental Health can be found here.
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