Reality TV star Ashley Cain has shared a statement after the BBC pulled a new season of his documentary series before its release.
The new series, called Into The Danger Zone, was shelved following a series of old misogynistic social media posts, which were shared by The Guardian.
These involved X posts in which the former footballer appeared to call women “bitches”, “slags”, “sluts”, and “psychos”. The publication also highlighted online communication with women that they said used “offensive sexualised language”.
At the time, a BBC spokesperson said: “The posts by Ashley Cain, albeit from many years ago, are completely unacceptable... The BBC has clear requirements around vetting and social media checks, which are undertaken by the production company.”
They added that they had “no plans to broadcast the new series of Into The Danger Zone, and no future projects with Ashley Cain”.
Since then, Cain has released a statement about his reported past comments on Instagram.
“You may have seen a recent article concerning language I used many years ago that I am not proud of. I don’t deny it. I don’t excuse it. And I certainly don’t condone it,” he said.
“The truth is that these comments were made over a decade ago by a younger version of myself who still had a lot of growing up to do. I cannot change the past, and truthfully, I have never tried to hide from it.”
Cain continued to say that when he wrote the X posts, he “was a young man who had watched his dream of professional football disappear through injury”.
In 2012, he experienced a serious injury to his Achilles tendon days before discussing a football contract.
Two years later, he went on to join reality show Ex On The Beach and has since appeared on MTV’s The Challenge and BBC’s Celebrity MasterChef,
He continued: “Reality television gave me a second chance, but it also put me into a world that I didn’t know, one in which I was rewarded for developing a provocative personality. None of that excuses the things I said, but it is part of the truth of where I was and who I was becoming.
“One thing I have reflected on a lot over the years is the importance of the people who help shape us. I was raised by incredible women. My mum, my nan, my auntie, my sister, my family and so many others who loved me, supported me and stood by me throughout my life.”
Cain then mentioned the loss of his child to cancer in 2021 after praising the women in his life.
“I have dedicated my life to trying to honour my daughter’s legacy and help others wherever I can. To support children and families facing childhood cancer,” he wrote.
He added that it was “difficult to see these stories return” and that he “hoped that people would recognise that change is possible”.
A BBC spokesperson had previously stated that in this case, their usual vetting process “clearly failed and we are investigating why”.
They added: “We are continuing to strengthen our processes to ensure everyone working for, and on behalf of, the BBC meets our values and standards.”
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