Disgusting tweets by former footballer, reality star and presenter, Ashley Cain, have resurfaced, amid calls for the BBC to axe the second series of Ashley Cain: Into the Danger Zone, which has already been filmed.
The programme sees Cain travel the world to places described as the 'most brutal, intense places to be a young man', to see how toxic masculinity exists around the globe and discuss the pressures that accompany it. One BBC exec praised Cain for being able to "connect with young men in a truly exceptional way".
Many people first became familiar with Cain after he and ex-partner, Safiyya Vorajee, shared the heartbreaking story of their daughter Azaylia's cancer diagnosis and subsequent death. As a result, the pair created a charity in her honour and Cain has been a determined fundraiser. He also appeared on Celebrity MasterChef last year.
In one post on X (formerly Twitter) dating back to 2015, resurfaced by a new Guardian investigation, sees Cain tweet a woman saying: "The only thing desperate around here is your pictures with your s*** t***. Now suck a d*** and f*** off."
Another tweet shows him say, "A girl bangs 100 guys = s***, a guy bangs 100 girls = ledge". He later followed up with, "I DO NOT.. I repeat I DO NOT think EVERY girl is a s***! There are some absolute PHENOMENAL women out there.. They’re just a rare commodity."
Cain also posted multiple violent tweets relating to one female Love Island contestant in 2015, writing "Would have to choke slam real quick" and "D*** f*** her and her big mouth, spit in her face and then f*** her off".
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The Guardian report also alleges that Cain posted sexually explicit footage of a woman on his Snapchat account without her permission. At the time, he responded with, "Everyone knows what happens on my Snapchat."
When asked to comment on the abhorrent posts, the BBC (a publicly funded broadcaster) told Cosmopolitan, "We are very clear we expect the highest standards of behaviour from everyone who works with or for the BBC.
"When allegations are brought to our attention we take them seriously. We will consider this information carefully and do not intend to comment further at this stage."
Currently, there is no fixed transmission date for the second series of Cain's show.
Cosmopolitan understands that the BBC was unaware of Cain's prior social media output and has asked the production companies involved in Into the Danger Zone to detail the social media checks Cain underwent prior to being hired – but it all points to a worrying trend for the broadcaster, that unsavoury characters are hired far too easily (see: Huw Edwards and Gregg Wallace).
Cain's X account is currently unavailable and has not responded to a request for comment.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
