Ross Kemp

Ross Kemp

• Candid and brutally honest, this landmark five part series is Ross Kemp’s very personal account of British soldiers at war.
• The series gives an unprecedented insight into the heat of a war zone. Filmed in stunning HD, a British TV first for a war zone.
• Series starts Monday 21st January at 9pm, on Sky One and Sky One HD.Ross Kemp journeys to Britain’s front line in Afghanistan with his BAFTA winning documentary team to experience first hand the British Army’s attempts at bringing peace to one of the world’s most dangerous war zones and to witness the Army’s attempts at bringing about a sea change in this hugely volatile region. A hard hitting and thought provoking documentary series for Sky One Ross Kemp in Afghanistan focuses on the British Army’s deployment in Helmand Province and features exclusive access to the Vikings – 1 Royal Anglian. The series chronicles the experiences of British soldiers as they adapt to life in a hostile environment, battle against a fanatical enemy; the Taliban, and attempt to win the hearts and minds of the local population. Ross also meets soldier’s families in the UK to see how they cope when their loved ones are away as well as meeting the families of soldiers who didn’t make it home alive. During three separate deployments, Ross lives through some of the most extreme and stressful conditions imaginable. On the front line there’s the constant threat of attack from the enemy, not to mention the intolerable desert environment with sand storms and temperatures well into the 50’s. Ross isn’t in a hermetically sealed bubble miles from the troops. He spends weeks with them; he eats when they eat, he sleeps when they sleep; he gets shot at when they get shot at. Ross experiences exactly what the soldier experiences.Ross comments; "Conditions in Afghanistan are intolerable. The heat is stifling and there's the constant threat of snipers, RPG attacks and land mines. During one engagement between B Company and the Taliban we were pinned down by enemy fire in open ground; bullets fizzed by inches from our heads, hitting the ground on either side of us. It was the most frightening experience of my life. I’ve never hugged the ground as tightly as I did when that happened. It's definitely the closest I have ever come to dying. I was so scared."Filmed in High Definition – a television first for a war zone – Ross Kemp in Afghanistan offers a unique perspective on the war and allows the audience to witness the conflict in HD and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. The broadcast will also include a red button commentary from director John Conroy and series producer Matt Bennett.Director John Conroy comments; “Filming under such pressures is immense. This is the first time a HD camera has been taken into a war zone and used in this way. It’s delivered some truly amazing pictures and audio. During the contact where Ross and I were pinned down by the Taliban you can hear the bullets fizzing past us, getting closer and closer. It was terrifying. It’s a big piece of kit, but was well worth it.”Travelling through the war-torn Helmand Province with 1 Royal Anglian, Ross discovers first hand what it’s like to fight on Britain’s front line and participates in a range of the Battalion’s activities - from protecting convoys to major offences in the Sangin Valley; Guarding the hydroelectric dam in Kajaki to house to house clearances in Taliban held villages.

For most of his time with 1 Royal Anglian, Ross finds himself alongside ‘B’ Company, a group of roughly 130 soldiers. Men like Lance Corporal Pete Toynton from the Fire Support Group and Company Sergeant Major Tim Newton. These men are only too aware of how dangerous Afghanistan can be. During their time in Afghanistan The Royal Anglian Regiment have taken the brunt of the fighting and have lost 9 men since the conflict began.

Candid and brutally honest, this is Ross Kemp’s very personal account of British soldiers at war. How will he cope, faced with the harsh conditions experienced on a daily basis by the highly-trained soldiers of the British Army?

Ross Kemp in Afghanistan is exclusive to Sky One and Sky One HD. Mondays at 9pm from January 21st. www.skyone.co.uk/rosskemp

EPISODE ONE Ross prepares for deployment and joins up with 1 Royal Anglian as they train during a cold British winter on Salisbury Plain. They’re training for what they will face in Afghanistan which includes convoy protection and deploying from Chinook helicopters. During one exercise Ross’ group is attacked and Ross and several others are told that they have been ‘killed’ by the enemy. It’s a sobering thought. Three months later and Ross will be playing this scenario for real. At the end of episode onewe see Ross leave the UK and arrive in the war zone that is Afghanistan.

Watch Episode One Clip On Win Med

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