War Paint, the male make-up brand, has teamed up with British actor and comedian Stephen Fry and Norwich City Football Club to kickstart the conversation around men's mental health issues.
Launching on YouTube today, the Challenging Stereotypes series sees War Paint founder Danny Gray join Fry and former Norwich FC footballer Darren Eadie to discuss their own struggles with mental health alongside a variety of topics including the impact of Covid-19 lockdown on mental health, how men are often inclined to conceal mental health issues and the prevalence of male suicide.
Gray was inspired to create War Paint after dealing with body dysmorphia, aiming to challenge common public perceptions and the stigma around men wearing make-up; today, the brand offers products including foundation, concealer and beard and brow gel.
Speaking about the importance of mental health, he said: “When you talk about it, you start to feel better.
“The first step is always the hardest, to admit you have a problem. Once you do that, you learn to deal with it.
"It’s never going to go away for me, but I have learned to manage it."
Fry, who is also the President of mental health charity Mind and has spoken openly about his struggles with bipolar disorder, added: “There's a recognition that courage and bravery, which are supposedly a manly quality, comes from people who admit their flaws.
“There’s nothing brave about saying 'I am very strong and fast and I am good at football', that’s just boasting, it’s not brave.
“But brave is saying I have weaknesses, I have fears, I have a secret…That’s courage.”
The new series is part of War Paint's ongoing partnership with Norwich City FC for the 2020/21 season – the brand's first ever team-up with a sports club – which is said to aim to challenge stereotypes, encourage conversations and drive progress around men's mental health.
