INTO THE DANGER ZONE: ASHLEY CAIN EXPLORES HOSTILE ENVIRONMENTS FOR BBC SERIES

BBC Factual has announced Ashley Cain: Into the Danger Zone (w/t), in which former footballer Ashley Cain visits some of the world’s most dangerous cities to explore the issues that affect young men born into a life that exists on the fringes of society.

From mercenaries in Marseilles to the gangs within a Philippine prison and poachers in South Africa, Ashley wants to know what it takes to survive in these environments and ask himself - what would he do in their shoes?

In each episode, Ashley will have to earn the trust of the men he meets as he immerses himself as an impartial observer in their worlds. Once inside, he’ll discover what life is like in the inner circle of men whose moral lines are blurred as they fight for survival.

Ashley Cain says: "I have a genuine passion for the people of this world and true compassion for every person’s situation. I am also incredibly inquisitive about the human mind and how people operate on the other side of their comfort zone...

So, I’m heavily invested in this series that explores the minds and lives of fellow young men based on the hardship they face in each adverse environment. It’s not my intention to judge...

"It’s my intention to understand. I will be as deeply immersed as I can be to truly understand how they think, feel and what they choose to or have to do in their lives to provide, protect or simply just survive. And ultimately ask myself… would I do the same if I lived in their world?"

Ricky Cooper, BBC Commissioning Editor, says: “Ashley connects with young men in a truly exceptional way – with no agenda, no judgement and a ferocious desire to genuinely understand whoever he meets, no matter how shocking their lives or actions may be, or where in the world they live...

"It’s these qualities that make this series so exciting, and I’m delighted Ashley will be taking the BBC Three audience along for this no-holds-barred journey into some of the world’s most dangerous places to be a young man.”

Ashley Cain: Into the Danger Zone (w/t), a 6x60’ series for BBC Three and iPlayer, is made by True North in association with House of Panthera.