I’m no ‘hot explorer’ – my missus would say I’m TV’s most boring, safety-conscious dad, laughs Aldo Kane on new show

SCOTTISH action man Aldo Kane has been dubbed the hottest explorer on TV thanks to his rugged looks and a string of high-octane adventure roles. 

He’s back on the box this week with his biggest project yet, Disney’s OceanXplorers, from Titanic director James Cameron. 

But there’s no chance the hype will be going to his head.

Aldo laughed: “I’ve been called the hottest adventurer on TV but my missus probably would not agree with it, she would think I’m more ‘TV’s most boring and safety conscious dad’.

“I don’t see myself as being famous. 

“This TV work will probably stop and all come crashing down at some point, so I just enjoy it and hope other people watching me do my job like what we’re doing, but ultimately what I really hope is people are inspired by it, to get out and get on with life.”

OceanXplorers is a big budget National Geographic series that sees Aldo and three other hardmen take part in missions aboard the most technologically advanced research vessel ever built.

The ship is 80m long with six decks and is home to various scientific labs, two submersives, a helicopter and three boats.

The ship travels to the depths of the Atlantic in the Azores, diving into the shallows of the Bahamas and warm waters of the Caribbean before embarking north to the frigid arctic shores of Svalbard, Norway. 

For former Marine Aldo, it was a chance to get back out to sea. 

He said: “When OceanXplorers came up… in the interview process, I went over to LA and was interviewed by James Cameron and his team, and I was chatting about my time in the Marines and being on ship and I thought; I haven’t been on a ship for years, and especially one like the OceanXplorer, where it’s the most scientifically advanced vessel on the planet. 

“I just thought it would be really interesting. 

“That, and [the fact that about] 80 per cent of the ocean is still unexplored. 

“So getting to go down in submarines, diving, working with scientists was like a big tick for me.”

At 46, Aldo has come to fame later in life after his military career first took him behind the camera as a safety advisor.

He’s worked with everyone from Tom Hardy to Will Smith but his first proper role on screen wasn’t until 2022, on Channel 4’s The Bridge alongside AJ Odudu.

Aldo said: “One of first jobs I ever did in television was driving across Siberia with Tom Hardy, driving across China with Henry Cavill, driving across Malaysia with Adrian Brody and that was on camera, so I’ve been in this for a long time. 

“But it was easier back in the days of just doing safety, setting up props and getting Will Smith into a big sink hole somewhere or paddling in a river before he does it.

“When you’re being filmed, you’re not only doing your job, you’re then having to think what you’re needing to bring across to the audience. 

“I’ve been watching people doing it for years and spent years with Steve Backshall and other presenters watching them do it and picking up tips.

“When you’re working in the adventurer world, with the A-list celebrities it’s actually a breath of fresh air for them to get away from the trapping of their life and come into a world where there’s a very small team working.

“They’re going to do something which is challenging, physically and emotionally and it’s not the norm for them.

“So usually they’re super good to work with and grateful for the opportunity to do something different. It’s very fulfilling and adventurous.”

National Geographic say: “Ocean experts embark on a global odyssey to solve some of the ocean’s greatest mysteries through the lives of its animals and their ecosystems. 

“The ship sets sail on a grand adventure and provides an immersive look at an underwater world of wonder with incredible discoveries that push the boundaries of exploration and our understanding of the ocean like never before.”

OceanXplorers is a co-production from National Geographic and BBC Studios.

It lands on Disney+ tomorrow, August 19, and premieres on National Geographic on August 25 from 5.30pm.