Last night Rio Ferdinand's documentary Rio Ferdinand: Being Mum and Dad aired on BBC One, two years after his wife Rebecca passed away from breast cancer at the age of 34.
The documentary followed Rio as he opened up about grieving for his wife and his concerns for their three children – Lorenz, 11, Tate, 8, and Tia, 6.
And the show moved many people, including a number of stars who flooded Twitter with messages of support.
#BeingMumAndDad @rioferdy5 What a beautiful film. A tribute to the power of honest communication. Well done mate.
Such a raw, honest and loving documentary #BeingMumAndDad well done @rioferdy5 you gave yourself to that.
Just finished watching #BeingMumAndDad. @rioferdy5 showing that it's okay to ask for help.
Must watch tonight... @rioferdy5 Being Mum & Dad on @bbcone tonight at 9pm... incredible & inspirational what you'v… https://t.co/DaP0wlLOPz
Brave and important from @RioFerdy5 to speak so openly about his personal grief last night. Everybody at #MUFC is… https://t.co/UJ8CMWdj8T
Most people congratulated the sports star for his honesty and the way he is dealing with the tragedy.
Rio's doc was real, it was honest. It was more than a tear jerker. It showed why Rebecca knew their kids would be alright #BeingMumAndDad
I can't put into words the respect I have for what @rioferdy5 has just done, truly heartbreaking, you're an amazing father, #BeingMumAndDad
Huge respect to @rioferdy5 for his #BeingMumAndDad documentary, your kids couldn't ask for a better father👏🏼
Rio Ferdinand. So honest & so brave. What a guy. #BeingMumAndDad
It also reminded a lot of people to not take what they have for granted.
#BeingMumAndDad ❤ reminds me to never forget to tell people how much you love them. Huge amounts of respect to @rioferdy5 x
Hats off @rioferdy5 - beautiful, heartbreaking, touching piece of television. So important to talk about grief/mental health #BeingMumAndDad
So much respect for @rioferdy5 using his celebrity platform to talk about important issues and showing it's okay to talk ❤ #BeingMumAndDad
Rio Ferdiand has just gained the respect of a nation, touching documentary. Puts life into perspective #BeingMumAndDad
Others expressed how sad the show made them.
Can just tell I'm gonna sob all the way through this #BeingMumAndDad
@rioferdy5 #BeingMumAndDad brought tears to our eyes! 😢 brilliant documentary that will help others going through the same thing xxxx
Rio ferdinand being mum and dad has me in bits💔 So sad 💔😓
And others started sharing their own experiences with grief.
My mother was told she was a hypochondriac by her doctor. By the time she got a second opinion her cancer had spread too far #BeingMumAndDad
Including TV presenter Jeff Brazier, who has also been bringing up his two sons on his own since their mum Jade Goody passed away in 2009. He shared an emotional message after watching the show and applauded Rio for bringing it to a wide audience.
Thoughts on #BeingMumandDad https://t.co/wg22ITNVWi