Bodyguard viewers applaud portrayal of an action hero seeking help for mental health issues

And Breathe. From a nerve-shredding suicide vest scene to the reveal of a police mole and a final twist about the murder of Julia Montague (Keeley Hawes), the finale of BBC’s Bodyguard left viewers with plenty to think about.

But for many fans, the show’s most poignant moment came at the very end, with Richard Madden's David Budd – the gun-toting, terrorist-chasing hero of the series – finally seeking help for his post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1q5VDHlhEg

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https://youtu.be/LN1azS1vjLM

At the close of the final episode, viewers saw Madden’s character preparing to open up to a mental health counsellor about the condition he developed fighting in Afghanistan.

“My name’s David Budd,” he said in the show’s final minutes, face crumpling as he finally admitted the truth: “And I need some help.”

https://twitter.com/BBCOne/status/1043971462024122368

And viewers congratulated the series for showing an action hero seeking help, a rarity in TV and film drama...

https://twitter.com/MPJourno/status/1043972213840531459

https://twitter.com/ScotsLindaT/status/1044128723526709248

https://twitter.com/scottygb/status/1043988873297240070

They also praised the BBC for highlighting male mental health and encouraging people to speak out about it...

https://twitter.com/Ben_Leatham/status/1044119208085344256

https://twitter.com/matt_shoreditch/status/1043973140974645248

https://twitter.com/CraigDavidson85/status/1043995858684055553

And despite some thinking that the scene highlighted how underfunded mental health services are in the UK...

https://twitter.com/jackrooke/status/1043974396870889473

https://twitter.com/TheoBosanquet/status/1043973556332351488

....most were just happy the issue was being portrayed on TV...