Ross Kemp: In The Amazon

Sky1/HD today announced details of ROSS KEMP: IN THE AMAZON (working title); a two-part documentary looking into the socio-economic and environmental pressures facing the Amazon regions of Brazil and Ecuador.

ROSS KEMP: IN THE AMAZON (2x60) will be broadcast on Sky1/HD in April 2010 and will explore the legacy of devastation created by a burgeoning global desire for energy, food and mineral resources. The documentary investigates how oil companies are affecting large tracts of the Amazon in a desire to satisfy the planets energy needs, how the turf wars that arise over cattle ranching and soy plantations have escalated, how the global demand for cocaine is leading to further deforestation and how the rise in the price of gold has meant that people are tearing up the rainforest as they seek to earn a living.

ROSS KEMP comments: “While filming in Nigeria last year, I saw first-hand how much man’s greed has cost the environment.  By travelling to the Amazon, we hope to highlight some of the well-known and lesser-known causes of deforestation.  I am no environmentalist, but no species has interfered with the earth’s temperature in such a short space of time as we have.  That damage as yet is unquantifiable. However, the survival of the world’s rainforests, in particular the Amazon, is crucial to the future of the human race.

ROSS KEMP: IN THE AMAZON (w/t) will form part of a line-up of programmes commissioned by Sky1/HD and other channels to highlight the plight of the rainforests to be aired throughout April. In October 2009 Sky joined forces with its customers and WWF to launch Sky Rainforest Rescue – a three year project to help save one billion trees in the state of Acre in northwest Brazil. A donation of just £20 will help save 1000 trees and Sky will match every donation up to the joint target of £4 million. For more information visit: www.sky.com/rainforestrescue

ROSS KEMP: "Sky’s Rainforest Rescue will offer an easy way for people to understand what is happening out there and demonstrate how we can all do something to help safeguard this natural wonder.”

CELIA TAYLOR, Head of Factual and Features, Sky1/HD, Sky2, Sky3 comments; "Ross brings his unique take to a familiar subject, the destruction of the rainforest, and delivers a refreshing and revealing look at what is really going on in the Amazon. What he discovered has shaken me out of my complacency and I hope viewers will feel the same."

CLIVE TULLOH, Executive Producer, Tiger Aspect comments; "We are very proud to be making this documentary for Sky1/HD. It could be Ross’s most important film to date."

ROSS KEMP: IN THE AMAZON (w/t) is a Tiger Aspect/Mongoose production for Sky1/HD and will air in April 2010. Celia Taylor will Executive Produce for Sky1/HD, Clive Tulloh for Tiger Aspect and Ross Kemp for Mongoose.

ROSS KEMP: IN THE AMAZON (w/t) joins previous Ross Kemp series on Sky1/HD. ROSS KEMP ON GANGS was awarded the BAFTA for best factual series in 2007. The four-part series triumphed in a category that included Stephen Fry’s Secret Life of The Manic Depressive, Bruce Parry’s Tribe and Who Do You Think You Are?

In January 2008 ROSS KEMP IN AFGHANISTAN was broadcast on Sky1/HD; a personal and gritty account of soldiering on the front line it gave a different perspective on what British troops face in Helmand.  The five-part series won the award for Best Multichannel programme at the Broadcast awards in 2008. ROSS KEMP IN AFGHANISTAN along with ROSS KEMP: A KENYA SPECIAL (broadcast in October 2008) were nominated for BAFTAs in 2009 in the factual series and current affairs categories respectively.

In October 2009 Ross was also awarded GQ Magazines Television Man of the Year accolade and the Association of International Broadcaster (AIB) TV personality of the year award.

In January 2010 ROSS KEMP: MIDDLE EAST was broadcast on Sky1/HD and looked at the conflict in Gaza and Israel.