Twofour's one off documentary that sets out to discover how former financial correspondent Ed Mitchell has fallen prey to alcoholism and has spent Christmas living rough on the streets of Brighton will air on ITV 1 on Friday 18 January at 8pm.

'Saving Ed Mitchell' follows his friend and former ITN colleague Carol Barnes as she sets out to discover why Mitchell’s life has taken such a dramatic turn.

Barnes - famously photographed with Mitchell in Downing St back in the early 1980s - pays Mitchell a surprise visit and the cameras follow him on the streets of Brighton before he checks into rehab at the Priory.

The documentary will follow Mitchell over the Christmas period, monitoring his progress during rehab, as well as talking to friends and family about his fall from grace and attempts to save his health.

A spokesman for ITV said: “Ed’s story has really captured the public imagination and the film promises to give a real insight into his life and the challenges he faces.”

Saving Ed Mitchell, was executively produced by Joe Houlihan and Emma Morgan and commissioned by ITV controller of documentaries Jeff Anderson.