Zara McDermott has revealed she was almost arrested in a “really, really scary” incident in Thailand.
The former Love Island star turned documentary maker faced the “petrifying” experience while filming the BBC documentary, Thailand: The Dark Side of Paradise.
The upcoming three-part docuseries explores the pros and cons of the far-flung destination and delves into why thousands of young Brits flock there every year.
McDermott explained that she and her crew were threatened with arrest by Bangkok police while filming in bars - despite getting permission to do so.
“The whole sequence gets cut down. But that was over the span of a few hours of filming there, the tensions were starting to increase with the police,” she recounted, per MailOnline.
“We nearly got arrested because of the filming that we were doing, but, the interesting thing about that is that we'd got all the permissions in advance. We'd been okay to film there.”
The presenter went on: “The bar owners were definitely, definitely kind of trying to throw their weight around a bit, and wanted us to get out of the area completely.
“In the end, the bar owners kind of, you know, they won in that sense, and we had to leave.
“So that was also a really, really scary moment of not only, you know, us potentially being arrested, but us losing what we were there to do.”
McDermott and the crew filmed in a red light district where prostitution is available despite it being illegal in Thailand.
They filmed a string of women in their underwear along streets and doorways before being told to leave.
A crew member even had an ashtray thrown at their head before they were marched out, The Sun reported.
Viewers will see the confrontation - including the thrown ashtray - unfold in the programme. The first episode airs on September 8.
McDermott has fronted several documentaries for the BBC, including Ibiza: Secrets of the Party Island, Revenge Porn, Uncovering Rape Culture, and Disordered Eating.
In her personal life, the former Strictly Come Dancing star has found love with singer Louis Tomlinson.
Last week, it was claimed she has moved into Tomlinson’s North London mansion, marking a significant step forward in their fast-developing relationship.
She is said to have gradually relocated to the One Direction singer’s home just months after the couple went public with their romance in June.
