A documentary following the families of the three girls who died in the Southport attack aired on Tuesday
William and Kate visit school in Southport
BBC viewers were left in tears just minutes into an emotional Southport tragedy documentary on Tuesday (December 9).
Our Girls: The Southport Families is a moving, hour-long documentary that follows the parents of three young girls – nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar, six-year-old Bebe King, and seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe – who tragically lost their lives in the Southport attack last year.
Last summer, Alice, Bebe and Elsie had excitedly gone to a Taylor Swift-themed dance class and never came home, a tragedy that shocked the nation.
Over the last nine months, a small team from BBC Breakfast followed the families’ journey through unimaginable grief and the beginnings of hope. In the documentary, their deeply personal interviews were shown alongside family footage for the first time.
The film shows the joy the three girls brought to those around them, and the legacies the grieving parents are now building in their memory: Alice’s Wonderdance, Bebe’s Hive, and Elsie’s Story, reports the Mirror.
READ MORE: Southport Inquiry hears how attacker’s psychiatrist hadn’t read notes on violent pastREAD MORE: Elsie Stancombe’s parents recall horror of day daughter was fatally stabbed
Elsewhere in the documentary, cameras followed Alice and Elsie’s fathers, Sergio and David, as they trained and completed the London Marathon to raise funds for their projects, and to build a playground at the school attended by two of the girls.
Later in the programme, the Prince and Princess of Wales visited the newly refurbished playground, with Prince William delivering an emotional speech to the students and staff.
Opening up about her bond with Elsie and Bebe’s families, Alice’s mum Alexandra said: “I feel more close to Alice when I am with them. I feel more connected to the girls.”
Elsie’s mum Jenni added: “I feel like I know Alice and Bebe just through their mums and dads. It’s awful that all three of us are going through it together, but we’re together.”
Bebe’s mum Lauren similarly shared: “I think the bond we have is a blessing in this situation.”
BBC viewers were left moved by the heartbreaking documentary, with many saying that they “struggled to watch” on X (formerly Twitter).
“Watching Our Girls: The Southport Families and I’m in bits after 5 minutes. How can someone so evil even exist. Those poor girls and their parents have suffered so much. Truly heartbreaking,” one person wrote.
Another added: “Our Girls the Southport Families, so heartbreaking to watch, RIP princesses. Can’t watch,” while a third said: “Only 5 minutes into the BBC documentary #OurGirls and it’s simply heartbreaking watching those parents trying to be so brave and restrained.”
A fourth viewer echoed the sentiment, saying: “2 minutes in and I’m upset already,” with another similarly sharing: “How amazing are these parents channelling their grief into something positive. Absolutely heartbreaking. Alice, Elsie and Bebe, you will never be forgotten.”
Our Girls: The Southport Families is available to stream on BBC iPlayer
