Ross Kemp – who is hosting Bridge of Lies today (Saturday, May 4) – nearly fronted a TV show where he dived down on the doomed Titanic submersible.
But the documentary maker and former EastEnders actor pulled out of the dive after the production company ran checks on the vessel and deemed it unsafe.
Ross’s agent Professor Jonathan Shalit said: “Their team checked out this OceanGate submersible and pulled out of using it, as it was simply not considered safe or fit for purpose.”
He told The Sun: “They found other sub dives which have been safe and successful, but by that point Ross was so busy with all his TV shows that he was unable to commit the time.”
Ross Kemp diving accident
Ross wanted to make a programme marking the 110th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic in 2022.
The TV star got a deep sea diving certificate to film Shipwreck Treasure Hunter and Deep Sea Treasure Hunter for Sky History.
But daredevil Ross endured a terrifying ordeal during filming.
Ross discovered a shipwreck while diving off Plymouth. But when he went to investigate, his mask filled up with too much carbon dioxide and he blacked out.
The actor described the oxygen starvation as “like I’d had too much to drink”.
What happened on the Titanic submersible?
British businessman Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman, French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush all died after the OceanGate Titanic submersible imploded.
They’d been on board to visit the wreckage of the Titanic 12,500 feet under the North Atlantic.
Problems arose when communications were lost shortly after the mission began.
Fears over oxygen supplies grew as time passed. A French research ship equipped with deep sea diving capabilities was deployed to help the search.
However, on Thursday June 22, debris from the submersible was found on the seabed. It was later confirmed that all passengers had sadly died.
Read more: Ross Kemp makes welcome return to acting in new Channel 5 drama Blindspot.
Bridge of Lies airs today (Saturday, May 4) at 5.40pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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