'I want to understand young men's struggles

Ashley Cain chats about facing danger to make his new documentary, thriving on getting out of his comfort zone and building a lasting legacy for his children

- KENZI DEVINE

While Ashley Cain may have a tough exterior, the tattooed sportsman and reality star shows his softer side when he sits down with new for an exclusive chat.

The 34-year-old lights up as he discusses fatherhood, talking about how he navigates parenting his two baby boys while grieving his daughter Azaylia, who died from leukaemia in 2021 at just eight months old. Her memory, however, is kept very much alive through her brothers Aliyas, 14 months, and Atlas, four months.

Ashley, who split up with Azaylia's mum Safiyya Vorajee in March 2022, has also been remembering his daughter by taking on a series of gruelling charity challenges over the last few years. They include an Ultraman feat, which saw him become the first person to run, then cycle and then kayak the length of Great Britain in 80 days.

Now the former footballer is leaving his comfort zone again, heading to some of the world's most dangerous places for new BBC documentary series Ashley Cain: Into The Danger Zone, to deep-dive into issues that affect young men born into a life where criminality is often a form of survival.

Here, Ashley tells us all about the show and why he's taking a temporary step back from his fundraising challenges…

Hi, Ashley! Are you enjoying life as a dad of two boys?