Ross Kemp enjoys soldiers' company

30 January 2009 01:06pm

Ross Kemp has revealed he risks his life in the war zones of Afghanistan because he "likes the company of soldiers".

The former EastEnders star - who now hosts a series of documentaries for Sky1 - enjoys spending time with the men.

Ross said: "We live with the guys long enough to get the footage. We weren't there with a prior agenda. We take a camera out, listen to what the people have to say and shoot it. And we've already been in contact. You never get used to being shot at or being in that danger but you panic less the more and more it happens.

"And, this is going to sound really weird but I like the company of soldiers.

"I get on with them maybe better than some people coming in from a different angle. We spend more time with the guys so they learn to trust us."

But the 44-year-old actor revealed sharing such close quarters with the men got nasty when they all caught a virus.

He said: "It swept through the camp like a plague.

"People would walk past projectile vomiting... While that was going on we had a couple of long range rockets go over us and then five local nationals were brought into the camp. Some of the children were seriously injured.

"But basically it didn't matter if people were Afghanis or from England or Scotland, everyone pulled together at that moment."

:: Ross Kemp: Return To Afghanistan begins on Sky 1 on Sunday February 1.

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