Reclaiming Amy on BBC2 is a follow-up to the 2015 documentary Amy, about the life and death of singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse. That film six years ago was critically acclaimed and won an Academy Award, but her father Mitch was critical of it, describing it as "preposterous", and says his portrayal in it contributed towards a nervous breakdown. Now, 10 years after Amy's death in 2011 at the age of 27, her family and friends are telling their side of the story in this new BBC2 documentary.
So here's all we can reveal about Reclaiming Amy, including the emotional insights from Amy's dad Mitch and mum Janis...
Reclaiming Amy release date
Reclaiming Amy arrives on BBC2 on Friday 23 July at 9pm. It will then become available on the streaming service BBCiPlayer. We are yet to find out if there's a US release date, but we can update when we find out. See below for how to watch the 2015 film Amy.
Reclaiming Amy — what family and friends reveal about Amy Winehouse
In Reclaiming Amy, Amy’s mum, Janis reveals: "After she died, her dad and I were accused of failing Amy. But the friends and family who knew her best and were with her until the end have a different story to tell. We want to celebrate Amy as the complex, incredible woman that she was."
Mitch and Janis, who divorced when Amy was 10, share home movies of her happy early childhood but admit that, after Mitch moved out, she was quite a handful. Three of Amy’s closest friends, Catriona, Naomi and Chantelle, feature prominently in the film, and Catriona suggests that Amy may have been conflicted about her sexuality. Elsewhere, certain trigger points are identified — notably the death of Amy’s beloved nan Cynthia, in 2006, after which, at the height of her success, her life began to unravel due to her eating disorder and addiction problems.
"When Amy was ill, her nan wasn’t there to help and guide us," Mitch explains. "And that’s why mistakes were made — because the wise one of the family had gone."
Meanwhile, Janis was facing her own health problems after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. "I was aware of my own limitations of what I could do," she recalls. "And that was horrible — to be watching your child disappearing and dying."
Reclaiming Amy — what is revealed about the death of Amy Winehouse
Amy died of accidental alcohol poisoning on 23 July 2011 at her north London home. In the wake of her death, and to this day, Mitch believes his part in the story has been misrepresented. "I still get it now: 'You were complicit in your daughter’s death – you killed your daughter,'" he reveals. "But the culprit is the addiction — it is more powerful than any love anybody can give."
Mitch believes that the focus should be as much on Amy’s remarkable achievements as her premature death. "What annoys me more than anything else is when people say to me: 'What a wasted life!' But that’s not true. Amy won five Grammys — she didn’t waste her life.'"
Is there a Reclaiming Amy trailer?
Yes there is! "She was always saying, I Love You Mummy" reveals Janis. It looks like this is going to be emotional. Take a look at the trailer right here...
