Toone navigates grief and wedding preparations in new BBC documentary
The 26-year-old discusses her journey through bereavement, the establishment of the ET7 Academy by fiancé Joe Bunney, and her upcoming nuptials in a forthcoming BBC Sport feature.
England and Manchester United midfielder Ella Toone is set to walk down the aisle this July without her father, Nick Toone, who passed away in September 2024. The emotional complexities of preparing for her wedding while processing her loss are the central theme of the new BBC documentary, 24 Hours with Ella Toone, which explores how the professional athlete is navigating grief alongside her career.
Toone revealed that she was unaware of her father’s prostate cancer diagnosis until after Manchester United won the FA Cup final in May 2024. The diagnosis had occurred the day after she scored in England’s 2022 European Championship final victory over Germany, but Nick Toone had chosen not to inform her at the time. He died three days before his 60th birthday, prompting Toone to return to training the following day, a decision she described as honouring what he would have wanted.
The intensity of her return to the pitch initially took a toll, leading Toone to take a two-month break from football in November 2024 following a calf injury. During this period, she engaged in counselling and took a holiday in Dubai to process her emotions. She noted that the enforced time off was necessary to avoid a mental breakdown and allowed her wider family, who had always shared matchdays with her father, to adjust to the loss.
Upon her return, Toone scored a long-range strike in Manchester United’s 7-0 FA Cup win over West Brom in January 2025, a goal she dedicated to her father and later voted as her team’s goal of the season. Her fiancé, Joe Bunney, is continuing Nick Toone’s legacy by establishing the ET7 Academy for young girls. Bunney, whose own playing career ended in 2025, stated that the academy allows him to support the next generation of players in a way that Nick Toone had always championed.
Toone, who previously stated she would not marry or have children following her father’s death, has since changed her mind. Alessia Russo will serve as her maid of honour, and Toone plans to ban football-related songs from the wedding reception to keep the day separate from her professional life. The documentary is scheduled for release on Friday, 29 May on BBC Sport’s YouTube channel, BBC Three, and BBC iPlayer.
