Ashley Cain says Into the Danger Zone revealed "I'm not as fearless as I thought"

BBC News

25-03-2025

In a new series Ashley Cain visits some of the world's most dangerous places to deep-dive into issues that affect young men born into a life where criminality has become a form of survival. After an insider secures him an intro, he'll use his curiosity, physicality and sheer force of personality to earn peoples' trust and infiltrate an infamous underworld.
In each episode Ashley explores the reasons why young men in each location have chosen a life of extreme criminality. He will be pushed to his physical and emotional limits, form personal bonds with complex men, and explore extreme male cultures he never knew existed.
At the end of his week in their world, he'll reflect on his experience. After walking in their shoes, he may not condone their actions, but does he at least now understand them?
Ashley Cain: Into the Danger Zone airs on BBC Three on Tuesday 1 April at 9pm. All episodes will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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Interview with Ashley Cain
Why did you want to make this series and why is it important to share these stories?
This journey was about stepping into the minds, environments, and struggles of young men around the world - understanding lives shaped by hardship and survival. For most of us watching, it's almost impossible to imagine, let alone endure, a single day in their shoes. This is a different world, with different rules. And although I don't condone or support criminality, through this experience, I wanted to shed light on that reality.
I've walked into places too dangerous for most, not because I'm fearless, but because I've learned to see what others might overlook. Energy isn't invisible to those who pay attention. At the core of it all, we are human beings - each with a mind, a heart, and a soul. The difference isn't in our worth, but in the stories that have shaped us. And that's what I set out to uncover.
I'm grateful to have been immersed in worlds so far removed from my own. Growth comes from stepping beyond your comfort zone, and at times, this journey pushed me further than I ever imagined. But it was transformative, humbling, and truly life changing.
What can viewers expect to see from you?
Viewers can expect to see me stepping into some of the most dangerous places on earth, meeting people many would fear, but doing so with an open mind, a willing heart, and a genuine desire to understand. You'll see moments of joy, moments of pain, and, in some cases, moments where I feared for my life. But through it all, no matter the challenges or confrontations, I never lose faith in people, in the world, or in our shared humanity.
I'd like to think people will see me as brave, but more importantly, as compassionate and non-judgmental - someone willing to listen, learn, and give a voice to those whose stories are often misunderstood or unheard. This series isn't just about danger; it's about perspective, about breaking down barriers, and about showing the raw, unfiltered reality of life in places most would never dare to go.
And, on a lighter note, if nothing else, you'll get to witness something pretty rare - me looking absolutely terrified in a fair few situations. Turns out, I'm not as fearless as I thought… but I'm working on it!
Is there one story or one moment from the series that has really stuck with you?
There are far too many. Dehorning a black rhino in South Africa, being around gunfire in a favela in Brazil, being under the watch of the Cartel in Colombia. Each moment was intense in its own way. But if I step away from the danger, the moment that truly stayed with me was a conversation with a mother in a militia-run favela in Brazil. It was painful. It was raw. And it cut deep.
She, like me, had lost a child - two, in fact. Both murdered. One of her sons was returned to her by a cartel as nothing more than a bag of bones. Hearing her story, standing in front of her, feeling the weight of her grief- it was unbearable, yet in that moment, we found something unspoken between us. We shared our pain, we embraced each other with love, and though our experiences of child loss were worlds apart, the agony of losing a child before your time is a pain no words can ever truly capture. It never leaves you. And that moment, that connection, will stay with me forever.
Is there any advice you would give to a person facing hardship and similar issues?
Life can be brutal. It can knock you down, take things from you that you can never get back, and make you question everything you've ever believed in. Pain, hardship, and injustice don't discriminate - they find people everywhere, in every corner of the world.
But no matter what you're facing, no matter how broken you feel, you are still here. And if you are still here, you are still fighting. Strength isn't about being unshaken - it's about standing back up, even when the world keeps trying to break you.
Your pain does not define you, but what you do with it will. Let it forge you, not destroy you. Let it give you purpose, not take it away. There is still love in this world, there is still hope, and even in the darkest places, there is still light - sometimes, you just have to be the one to create it.
Keep going. Keep believing. Because you are stronger than what has happened to you, and your story isn't over yet.
AJ2