Ross Kemp's dangerous prisons show forced to halt filming after 'incident'

02 October 2023 , 15:10

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Ross has faced extreme environments (Image: ITV)

Production crew have been forced to halt filming on Ross Kemp's new Channel 5 show delving into the world's most dangerous prisons due to a reported incident.

The former EastEnders actor turned TV presenter, 59, has fronted a number of hard-hitting documentaries in recent years and has made it his mission to tackle difficult subjects, including crime and gang culture. In the past, Ross has put his life on the line as he threw himself into dangerous environments.

His work has seen him travel to extreme parts of the world, and his long list of documentaries includes heading to Iraq and Syria to follow Kurdish forces in their fight against ISIS and witnessing frontline NHS staff working tirelessly to save lives during the pandemic.

The former actor was shooting his new Channel 5 series Ross Kemp: 72 Hours In... which looks at the life of prisoners who are caged alongside killers, gang members, and drug barons around the world. But according to Deadline, the show has been halted and "conversations are taking place between the Paramount UK network and the producers of Ross Kemp: 72 Hours In... following an incident".

Ross' new show will see him visit some of the world's most dangerous prisons (ITV)

Ross formerly played Grant Mitchell on EastEnders (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

A spokeswoman for Channel 5 said: “Filming had begun on the series, but due to unforeseen production challenges, we have made the practical decision to halt filming at the moment.” Ross previously opened up about the series, telling The Sun: "I’ve been to some of the world’s toughest prisons. I thought I’d experienced it all, but this time we’re going even further."

Ross Kemp insists EastEnders can survive by tackling 'troubling' issues

He once recalled some of his most jaw-dropping experiences in his new book, Take Nothing For Granted: Tales From An Unexpected Life, often revealing how good humour and good luck has helped him get back to his loved ones.

He said: “The great thing is the dark sense of humour that comes with being someone who operates in those kinds of environments. We also use trauma risk management which means sitting down and talking through trauma with your colleagues.

“That can be being shot at, you can be in a road traffic accident or your son has been killed by drug dealers. What keeps me up now isn’t necessarily those events, it’s worrying about not being around for my kids.”

Ayaan Ali