Artist 'Mr Doodle' who squiggled drawings all over £1.5 million mansion speaks out in C4 documentary

As a child, artist Sam Cox would draw from the moment he woke up to the moment he went to sleep. Through school and university, he wasn’t interested in anything but drawing. His time was increasingly spent doodling, and even on a night out, he’d sit in a corner drawing on his phone. But over time, he found himself caught in a nightmare of his own making - trapped in Doodle Land, leading to a psychotic break and being sectioned.

An intimate documentary, on Channel 4 tonight (July 9th) at 10pm, explores how Sam gradually morphed into Mr Doodle - an alter ego who ended up buying a mansion and painting it white, simply so that he could draw all over it. His mum Andrea says: “I remember my auntie saying to me, ‘It’s ok, it’s just that he’s a genius and sometimes geniuses go mad’. He was lost somewhere in some land that he no longer had control over.”

When Sam left university, he was given a year to see if he could make his art pay. He created Mr Doodle to draw attention to his work, dressing up as the persona and trying to sell drawings in the street for £1. Sam came to the notice of an international art dealer after a video of him doodling went viral - the money came in and he even met a woman. But it started to become unclear where Mr Doodle ended and Sam began. And then he bought the house... Sam says: “Whenever I try to talk about what happened to me, my heart starts racing.”

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The Trouble With Mr Doodle is airing on Channel 4 tonight at 10pm There's plenty more on TV tonight - here's the best of the rest...

SHIFTING GEARS, DISNEY+

Tim Allen (famously the voice of Buzz Lightyear and star of Home Improvement) leads the cast in this family comedy revolving around a car restoration shop. He plays Matt, the stubborn, widowed owner of the classic car workshop, whose life is upturned by the arrival of his estranged daughter and grandchildren. Riley (played by 2 Broke Girls actress Kat Dennings) drives up with her two kids in tow and asks for a place to stay in the wake of her divorce.

It all sets up for a classic odd couple format, with the father and daughter also having a couple of decades of emotional baggage to deal with. The jokes are a bit clunky and it’s hardly subtle. “When I build stuff, it’s built to last,” says Matt. “Except our relationship!” Riley replies. But it’s endearing and there’s comedy from the kids, including tween Carter who wants to improve Matt’s Instagram presence and Georgia, who wants to become a billionaire.

POISONED: KILLER IN THE POST, CHANNEL 4, 9pm

This heartbreaking documentary speaks to bereaved parents about the deaths of multiple young people who took a deadly poison being sold online. When a young man, Tom Parfett, died aged 22 in 2001 after ingesting the poison, Times journalist James Beal investigated and realised he was not the only victim. In fact, the poison was sent to hundreds of young people across the world, from the US to Canada, Germany and Australia.

This film follows what happened as James went undercover, discovering a dark world of online suicide forums. The seller has since been arrested and accused of sending over 1,200 poison packages to young people and is linked to 97 deaths in the UK. Tom’s dad David says: “Tom had a lot to look forward to. He was just a wonderful man. There’s not an hour when I don’t think about him. When I found out about this poison I was just so angry. The lives that have been lost, it’s just astonishing.”

BALLARD, PRIME VIDEO

This Bosch spin-off sees Detective Renee Ballard (Maggie Q) plunge into a web of murder and corruption as she hunts a ruthless serial killer and uncovers a sinister police conspiracy. She heads up the LAPD’s newly formed but underfunded cold case division, after being forced to step away from the homicide team. But with her own demons nipping at her heels, Ballard must outwit both criminals and colleagues to bring long-overdue justice to the victims and their families.

EASTENDERS, BBC1, 8pm

In a double bill, the Panesars are in crisis mode as Ravi and Suki try to rescue the businesses. Desperate for cash, Ravi approaches Nicola to get a drug contact and she warns him of the dangers. Angry that Felix has left her in the lurch, Cindy berates Callum for kissing Johnny, only for Lexi to overhear. Lauren looks to Peter for reassurances about Jimmy’s diagnosis. Ian suggests to Stacey that they reopen Martin’s stall. She agrees it’s a good legacy.

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