“That was the closest I’ve ever come to being killed-I actually wet myself. I didn’t even realise at the time, when I stood up there was a wet patch in my trousers.”
The actor turned docu-presenter Ross Kemp is in Sheffield for the Showroom Cinema’s Docufest talking about his new series Ross Kemp on Afghanistan.
Kemp, who only got back from filming a month ago, says his recent loss of bladder control was the result of a Taliban attack on the East Anglian regiment he accompanied on the front line.
He only discovered his accident when the attack ended and he climbed out of the ditch which he had dived into for protection.
The confession is in contrast to the hard man image which Kemp says follows him around. “I can’t help that I’m bald,” he says, grinning.
But the audience is reluctant to believe that he’s not using his hard man image in roles like Eastender’s Grant Mitchell in order to be taken seriously by gangs and his TV audience.
Watching the episode of the third series of Ross Kemp on Gangs set in Poland it is hard to ignore the similarity in appearance between Kemp and those he interviews.
As the camera follows a group of jean wearing tight-t-shirted stocky skinheads Kemp is almost indistinguishable.
In the Question and Answer session that follows the screening he visibly sighs as those who missed the earlier talk re-ask if he’s been helped by the hard man image of his Grant Mitchell character.
“Do you think these people have seen Eastenders?” He asks, explaining that episodes set in this country, like his new series in Afghanistan were made harder to film by micky taking about his actor past.
“The soldiers in Afghanistan had a competition going to see who could get the first photo of Grant Mitchell taking a dump, every time I took my pants down there was a flash behind me.”
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However he concedes “The way I look has been a help and a hindrance,” and a bit of friendly banter is the least of his worries when meeting some of the most dangerous individuals in the world.
The documentary crew of three or four (depending on location) has no security protection and filming the first series of Ross Kemp on Gangs the crew were warned that wearing body armour would only provoke the gangs to test it.
They have been careful to heed this advice but still find themselves in difficult situations.
In Poland, Kemp and his camera man were at one point alone on wasteland talking to balaclava clad football hooligans who became less and less cooperative.
Their hooligan friends watched from nearby rooftops, armed with hammers and axes.
No one had told them they were dealing with a Mitchell brother and Kemp eventually turned off his camera at the gang’s request.
But this situation and many like it has not stopped the presenter from once again placing himself in danger, entering a warzone in Ross Kemp in Afghanistan, due to be screened on Sky One in January.
“Adrenalin is addictive, there is a definite high from being in dangerous situations,” he admits.
Winning the BAFTA in May for the latest gangs series probably helped.
One audience member shouts: “But you’re an actor,”
“Please tell my agent that!” Kemp quips back.
He is keen to point out that he is not a journalist, which he claims means his work is not dominated by an agenda. He repeats this several times.
“I’m not interested in giving people my opinion,” he says seemingly unaware that journalism is supposed to be objective “I want people to make up their own mind.”
Perhaps Kemp’s family has given him a distorted view of the role of a journalist?
His ex wife is Sun editor Rebekah Wade, the couple separated in 2005, something which Kemp himself fails to mention.
His brother is documentary producer Darren Kemp who produced the Panorama episode on Afghanistan.
“You say you are not a journalist, however you are close to people involved in Journalism. What kind of feedback have they given on your work and have they influenced your ideas and direction?”
He mumbles something about them being largely complimentary and then with a pained look on his face smiles directly at me and says:
“That’s a good question, it’s hard to answer, I think I’m going to go for a beer now!”
And so he runs away. I hope he doesn’t over do it and let that bladder go again. Ross Kemp? He’s not that hard.
By Fay Nyberg
December 10th, 2007 at 11:57 pm
“seemingly unaware that journalism is supposed to be objective”
“His ex wife is Sun editor Rebekah Wade”
Hummmmm!
December 28th, 2007 at 7:37 pm
And I suppose you wouldn’t loose your bladder control? I was in Afghanistan with Ross and he saw some of the most feirce fighting in the region in a while! I’m sure ross would tell you that a RPG air-bursting over your head sending shrapnel flying all round is a scary experience! Well done Ross for supporting British Troops whether he agrees with the political situation or not!
January 21st, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Of course I would be terrified Steve! My point was that a man who has met some of the most dangerous men in the world and been in a warzone was unwilling to answer a question posed by a 5′ 3″ trainee journalist. My brother is in the forces and I have huge respect for them.