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TV review: Never underestimate the power of the letter

Suzanne McGonagle

Suzanne McGonagle

Suzanne has worked at the Irish News since 2004. Her particular areas of specialism are news and education.

Jodi's Lovely Letters, presented by Welsh singer Aled Jones, is part of BBC One's Our Lives season
Jodi's Lovely Letters, presented by Welsh singer Aled Jones, is part of BBC One's Our Lives season Jodi's Lovely Letters, presented by Welsh singer Aled Jones, is part of BBC One's Our Lives season

Jodi's Lovely Letters, BBC 1, Monday, 7.30pm

IN the digital age we live in, it's not often we actually put pen to paper.

Through the use of social media and smart phones, we communicate through email, text or instant messaging, rarely do we ever write a letter.

But for Jodi Bickley from Birmingham, it has been a way of life since the age of five.

From what began as a little note to a stranger, left in a coffee shop or on the bus, a simple way of brightening someone's day has grown into something much bigger and even more special.

Jodi's Lovely Letters, presented by Welsh singer Aled Jones, is part of BBC One's Our Lives season.

It tells the story of how Jodi changes lives by doing something very simple and unusual - writing letters to complete strangers.

She established the One Million Lovely Letters project in 2013 and since then has written more than 4,000 letters to people across the world with her aim to write a million.

Her inbox is filled every day by thousands of requests from people wanting letters of support from her, from those who need a bit of a lift.

She doesn't know who the people are, but she takes time out of her day to write to them. And they're not just quick notes either, each one is lovingly worded and personalised.

But what motivates a person to write a letter to someone they do not know?

Struggling with depression from a young age, as the documentary reveals, Jodi's own life took a turn for the worse.

At a music festival in 2013 she was bitten by a tick that led to her contracting encephalitis - a potentially fatal brain disease - before ME kicked in and she was bed bound for a year-and-a-half.

It wasn't until she took her letter-writing hobby online that she gained a much-needed new perspective on life.

Her instinctive reaction was to help others and within hours of setting up the website, she received 200 emails.

From the living-room of her home, her simple pastime spiralled into something immense and Jodi admits she could never have imagined the response she would receive from people across the world.

The programme also meets people who describe what it is like to receive one of Jodi's letters.

Scarlet was one of those lucky people, who spoke about "how much of an impact she (Jodi) has had on people's lives for definite and the difference she had to mine".

"Just having that glimmer of hope from somebody," she added.

Sebastian from Canada is another person who came into contact with Jodi at a key moment in his life, finding her website as he faced major financial and emotional issues.

In her letter to him, Jodi wrote: "Getting through the day when you are battling depression is a victory, you are winning the fight Sebastian".

He said from that day of receiving her correspondence: "I look at that little letter and know that I can't give up",

The programme follows Jodi as she prepares for an exhibition of letters sent to her by people across the world. Despite the excitement of the new project, she reveals her depression and anxiety is never far away.

But she knows her letters are having a lasting impact on people's lives.

What makes what Jodi does all the more special is that she has had endured a tough life. But despite the challenges, she has found ways to enjoy life.

She has believed in the power of the written word all her life and she's not going to stop until she has written one million letters.

Perhaps we should remember her philosophy in life, 'never underestimate the power of the letter'.