Ross Kemp rejected invitation to make Titan submersible documentary

The tragic OceanGate disaster almost involved documentarian Ross Kemp.

Aside from his role as Grant Mitchell in EastEnders, Kemp, 58, is best recognised for gritty TV shows Ross Kemp in Afghanistan and Ross Kemp in Search of Pirates, and now it's been revealed that he was offered the opportunity to board the Titan submersible that killed five passengers this week.

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Kemp's agent, InterTalent chairman Professor Jonathan Shalit, has now told the PA news agency that the project was ultimately deemed "unsafe on every level" by a specialist firm.

"The production company, who are well known and renowned, looked into the sub and decided it was unsafe on every level and weren't prepared to use it. We were told 'it is unsafe, we are not going' – that was a year ago," he said in the aftermath of Titan's implosion.

"It is deeply sad for the families who have suffered such a terrible loss. I am relieved that Ross did not participate but I am obviously reassured by the professionalism of those companies we were working with that they didn't suggest that he go on the submarine.

"The lesson to be learnt is do your checks thoroughly. By good fortune for us the checks had been done thoroughly."

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Meanwhile, filmmaker and keen oceanographer James Cameron (who directed the 1997 epic Titanic) also weighed in on the OceanGate tragedy that unfolded at the bottom of the Atlantic, suggesting it was "preventable".

"We now have another wreck that is based on, unfortunately, the same principles of not heeding warnings," he said on BBC News, alluding to the Titanic's infamous sinking.

"Within about an hour I had the following facts: they were on descent, they were at 3500 metres, heading for the bottom at 3800 metres.

"Comms were lost and navigation was lost, and I said instantly, you can't lose comms and navigation together, we're now at an extreme catastrophic event, a highly energetic catastrophic event. And the first thing that popped to mind was an implosion."

Watch: Ross Kemp turned down OceanGate submersible trip to Titanic wreck over safety fears