BBC presenter Ashley Cain called women ‘slags’, ‘sluts’ and ‘bitches’

Cain on Into the Danger Zone. BBC executives have in the past praised his ‘exceptional’ ability to connect with young men. Photograph: BBC View image in fullscreen Cain on Into the Danger Zone. BBC executives have in the past praised his ‘exceptional’ ability to connect with young men. Photograph: BBC BBC presenter Ashley Cain called women ‘slags’, ‘sluts’ and ‘bitches’ Exclusive: Cain has been lauded by corporation for his appeal to young men despite history of abusive and misogynistic remarks Warning: this article contains sexually explicit, offensive language A BBC presenter lauded by the corporation for his appeal to young male audiences has a history of making abusive and misogynistic remarks about women, whom he has variously called “slags”, “sluts”, “psychos” and “bitches”, the Guardian can reveal. Ashley Cain is the presenter of the BBC Three documentary series Ashley Cain: Into the Danger Zone , which was filmed on location earlier this year after the BBC commissioned a second series. A former footballer turned reality TV star, Cain travels to the world’s most dangerous places, interviewing young men who live on the fringes of society. Before Cain began working with the BBC, he was a prolific user of X, which was then known as Twitter. He frequently referred to women in tweets using abusive terms, making jokes about hitting women and degrading sexual practices. He also sent female users of the social media platform abusive messages with offensive sexualised language. In 2014, in response to a since-deleted tweet he perceived to be a homophobic, Cain tweeted that one female user should “go and choke on a cock you slut”. To another female user in 2015 he wrote: “The only thing that’s desperate around here is your pictures with your shit tits. Now suck a dick, and fuck off.” These and dozens of other similar posts, all of which were publicly available, raise questions for the BBC about what, if any, vetting was conducted before his appointment. Late on Wednesday, Cain’s X account appeared to have been removed from the platform. Cain did not respond to multiple requests for comment. A BBC spokesperson said: “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.” A source at the BBC said the corporation had been unaware of Cain’s social media posts. The revelations could pose the first big test for the BBC’s new director general, Matt Brittin , who joined the corporation last month after a string of scandals related to misconduct by BBC presenters. BBC executives have in the past praised Cain’s “exceptional” ability to connect with young men, and promoted him on the broadcaster’s youth-focused channel, describing him as “what BBC Three is about”. He also appeared on the BBC’s flagship Celebrity MasterChef in 2025, reaching the