Ex-Mansfield Town player Ashley Cain has BBC show axed after sexist language accusations

The corporation has admitted its process of vetting and social media checks ‘clearly failed’ prior to working with the former Mansfield Town player.

Cain, who played for Stags between 2010 and 2011, was the host of the BBC Three show Ashley Cain: Into the Danger Zone, which first aired in 2025.

The 35-year-old filmed the second instalment of the documentary earlier this year but the BBC has confirmed it has ‘no plans’ to broadcast it, with ‘no future projects’ planned involving the former Ex on the Beach star.

Cain has been accused of using explicit sexist and misogynistic language towards women in historic social media posts, as first reported by The Guardian. The former footballer, who played for the likes of Coventry City, Mansfield and Tamworth before finding wider fame through reality TV appearances, frequently referred to women using abusive terms on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

In a series of tweets between 2011 and 2015, Cain used terms including ‘slags’ and ‘sluts’ to refer to women, while other posts involving abusive ‘jokes’ about hitting and slapping women have also been brought to light. The Guardian claimed one tweet included remarks that Cain ‘would have to choke slam’ a female contestant on the 2015 series of Love Island.

The posts, and Cain’s entire X account, have since been deleted.

“The posts by Ashley Cain, albeit from many years ago, are completely unacceptable,” a BBC spokesperson said in a statement issued on Thursday night. “The BBC has clear requirements around vetting and social media checks, which are undertaken by the production company.

“In this instance, the process clearly failed and we are investigating why. We are continuing to strengthen our processes to ensure everyone working for, and on behalf of, the BBC meets our values and standards.

“We have no plans to broadcast the new series of 'Into the Danger Zone', and no future projects with Ashley Cain.”