The BBC is looking for children aged five to eight in the East Riding who are finding it hard to make friends.

From the award-winning producers of Channel 4’s The Dog House, and one of the BAFTA winning producers of First Dates, comes a brand new six-part series about friendship for BBC One and iPlayer from Five Mile Films.

Will You Be My Friend? explores the world of friendship through children - aged five to eight - who are struggling socially. Some are shy, some feel like they don’t fit in, others simply haven’t found “their tribe” yet. They want to make a friend - but don’t know where to start.

Enter The Friendship Centre. Here, a team of psychologists help children build the confidence and social skills to form real, lasting connections with other kids. Each child is then sensitively matched on a play date with a potential new friend from their local area.

A survey by the English-Speaking Union revealed that over 50% of parents with children aged 5 to 9 say their children now struggle to make friends due to low self confidence.

placeholder image — A survey by the English-Speaking Union revealed that over 50% of parents with children aged 5 to 9 say their children now struggle to make friends due to low self confidence.

Six weeks later, we return home to see how their new-found courage has helped at school, in the playground and beyond.

Emma Loach, Interim Head of Commissioning, Documentaries said: "The longing to connect, to be seen, and to belong is universal. Whether you're five or fifty-five, I defy anyone to watch these children without seeing a little bit of themselves reflected.

"In a world that can feel increasingly disconnected, this series shows that the simplest gestures - a smile, a shared joke, a tentative 'will you be my friend?’ - still have the power to change everything. Five Mile Films has brought us something very special, and we couldn't be prouder to give it a home on the BBC."

Nick Mirsky, CEO of Five Mile Films said: "I don’t think there’s a commission I could be more thrilled to bring to Five Mile. Will You Be My Friend? will be joyful, warm and funny, but it also does something genuinely new – inviting us to look closely at the challenge and art of making friends."

Filming takes place July and August, 2026. The BBC are looking for children (aged 5 to 8) from the East Riding to take part. Visit https://bemyfriend.tv to apply.