William joins Ross Kemp to prepare for emergencies

The Prince of Wales and Ross Kemp have united to help communities plan for emergencies in a world the BBC Celebrity Traitors star believes has become "more dangerous".

Prince William arrived in Ilminster, Somerset, earlier to launch a new initiative called Ready Together, a National Emergency Trust project to help communities prepare for emergencies, including wildfires and flooding.

Speaking at the meeting where they discussed how residents could become more resilient, Kemp said: "The world, to be really honest, is in a far more dangerous situation than it was 30 years ago.

"The more prepared we are for all eventualities, the better we'll be able to cope with them."

National Emergencies Trust is a UK charity launched in 2019 to collaborate with other UK charities during times of disaster.

In 2025, the trust appointed Kemp as an ambassador, due to his background with reporting from crisis and conflict zones.

Kemp said: "Ready Together is about understanding what the possible outcomes could be, how you deal with them, and how you come together to effectively overcome them."

Kemp is currently a contestant in Celebrity Traitors and he told BBC Radio Somerset that he had received more attention from his appearance on the reality TV show than when he starred in Eastenders.

"I went to the petrol station, which is the petrol station, [I've used since] I've been on television for 43 years," he said.

"I've never been selfied five times while I was filling my car up."

During the visit, Prince William, who is a patron of the trust, joined volunteers and young people taking part in a training exercise involving a series of emergency scenarios.

William also met members of the Ilminster Resilience Group, which has supported residents during severe flooding, and visited Sweet Surprise, a café providing opportunities for adults with learning disabilities.

A spokesman for Kensington Palace said: "Research has shown that people are very willing to help in an emergency, including to support their neighbours during a crisis.

"At the same time, far fewer feel their communities have the structures and plans in place to respond effectively.

"Ready Together seeks to bridge that gap by turning goodwill into practical preparedness."

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