IT was the wrong Pole for Santa Claus when Old Monmothian former Wales and Dragons star Richard Parks headed to Antarctica to join a TV crew, in his role as a global explorer and expedition leader.

But Christmas came early for the 48-year-old, after arriving to discover that his top-secret job was guiding Hollywood superstar Will Smith to the South Pole as part of a new documentary series.

Richard has climbed Everest and the highest mountains on every continent.

But spending time with the Fresh Prince of Bel Air star and introducing him to the Earth's southernmost and coldest continent was right up there.

Teaching Will to "find the courage and the skills very quickly to be able to truly experience Antarctica”, he found him “very thoughtful, very humble, and really curious".

"I can only imagine what Will's life is like in real life," he told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast. "But the isolation of Antarctica, it does something to you, it's a real privilege to experience that.

"The way Antarctica peels back the psychological and social layers we live behind here, it takes you back to the core man. The core person.

"That's what's really special about this, Will's an awesome guy. I couldn't help but feel inspired," added Richard, who skied solo to the Pole in 2014.

The explorer, who has since travelled to LA to meet Smith, said they formed a strong bond amid the Antarctic wastelands, but admitted: "I did have to have a few harsh words when he started dancing on the Polar Plateau, which is not the place to bust moves.

"But he's a beautiful, curious soul and we see that in the show."

Pole To Pole sees the Hollywood A-lister travel to all seven continents to discover more about the world from experts, scientists and explorers.

The first episode, featuring Richard, airs on National Geographic and Disney + on January 14 (8pm).