Ashley Cain, a former Coventry City football player who transitioned into a reality TV career, has embarked on a bold new venture in a six-part factual series titled Ashley Cain: Into the Danger Zone.
The series takes him into some of the most perilous and unstable areas of the world, where he explores the difficult lives of young men born into circumstances where crime has become a form of survival. Cain, now 34 years old, takes viewers on an eye-opening journey into the realities of life on society’s margins, shining a light on issues like poverty, violence, and systemic social exclusion.
Throughout the series, Cain dives deep into these harsh environments. He spends time in Colombia, experiencing firsthand the overwhelming control of cartels, a place where fear and danger are ever-present.
He also visits a prison in the Philippines known for its notorious gang activity and observes illegal poaching in South Africa, areas where survival often means turning to crime and dangerous lifestyles. His travels and encounters give viewers a glimpse into the harshest aspects of life in these dangerous zones, far from the comfortable existence many are accustomed to.
For Cain, the series isn’t simply about showcasing peril; it is about offering a deeper perspective on life in the most challenging of circumstances. He has made it clear that the show is unflinchingly real and provides an unfiltered look into the lives of people who often don’t have a voice in mainstream media.
Cain reflects on how these communities, while living in extreme adversity, manage to find ways to survive and persist. He views this as a powerful opportunity to shed light on stories that are rarely told.
Cain’s personal life and experiences have also significantly influenced the way he approaches his work today. He has openly credited his daughter, Azaylia, who tragically passed away from a rare form of leukaemia in April 2021, with inspiring much of his recent work and successes.
Reflecting on the doors that have opened for him in the years since her death, Cain shared that he believes his daughter’s legacy has played a crucial role in shaping his current path. “I wouldn’t be doing a single thing that I’m doing now, I wouldn’t have achieved anything I have in the past four years if it wasn’t for her,” he said, emphasizing the profound impact her life—and her death—had on him.
Through his series, Cain has gained a unique perspective on the struggles faced by those who have been excluded from society and don’t have the same opportunities or chances as others. “I got to hear from people who don’t have opportunity, who have been excluded from society, and what they need—it’s not a lot,” he explained.
This powerful realization has driven him to try and use the lessons he’s learned abroad to make a difference back home in the UK. Cain believes there are significant parallels between the struggles faced by people in the most dangerous areas of the world and those living in poverty or violence in his own country.
Cain has expressed a strong desire to adopt the insights he’s gained from the series and apply them to help improve conditions in the UK. He has seen firsthand the toll poverty and violence can take on communities, and he wants to use his platform to advocate for change.
“There’s a lot of poverty here, there’s a lot of trouble and violence here, I just want to try and make the world a better place,” he said, further stressing his intention to not only bring awareness to the issues but to also contribute to positive change in his own community.
One of the most dangerous places Cain visited was the Brazilian favelas, where crime and poverty intersect in deeply unsettling ways. Despite the perilous environment, Cain described the favelas as “the most fantastic and phenomenal place,” one he had dreamed of visiting since childhood.
His ability to navigate such dangerous spaces and his deep understanding of their realities has shaped how he views his role in the series. He believes his personal experiences, both positive and negative, make him the right person to take on this difficult subject matter.
Cain’s background plays a significant role in his ability to connect with the people and communities he encounters in the series. Having grown up in an environment where crime was a prevalent option for survival, he could have easily fallen into a similar path. Instead, his life experiences—many of which have been painful and traumatic—have shaped his outlook in a way that allows him to empathize with those who are living on the fringes of society.
“I’ve had a lot of traumatic experiences that have caused me a lot of pain and heartache that could have made me angry and bitter towards the world,” Cain said. But instead of allowing these hardships to define him negatively, he uses them to fuel his desire to create change, believing his background has uniquely equipped him for such an important project.
