A new reality TV show in Australia wants to put its stars in the thick of it in Syria.
In the first episode of the three-part series "Go Back to Where You Came From," stars of the show are seen crouching behind buildings in Syria as militants fire mortar rounds around them.
The premise of the show is to expose "ordinary Australians" to experiences refugees and asylum seekers face on a daily basis by taking them to Syria, Baghdad and Myanmar, AFP reported.
In a promotional video, Australian public broadcaster SBS said the six participants are "escorted under security to the Syrian frontlines by Kurdish soldiers as they defend a village under threat by ISIS ... and come under fire by nearby ISIS insurgents."
A security consultant who reviewed the footage said there was "substantial risk ... with the deployment" and "appropriate controls were not implemented," according to AFP.
SBS defended the move despite the criticisms, saying the show had gone through extensive security measures. The company added that the stars were accompanied by a private security firm.
"The situation captured on camera where the group were shot at was not planned, but not unexpected in a war zone," the statement said. "The armed security team were prepared for an event like this, and quickly took action to move the participants and crew to a safer location."
The show, in its third season, had previously won an Emmy for non-scripted entertainment in 2013 when the broadcaster took people to Afghanistan, Somalia and Indonesia.
