Richard Madeley swapped the comfort of the Good Morning Britain sofa to travel to one of the world’s most controversial prisons in El Salvador, where thousands of prisoners are serving life sentences. Richard had been given access to the notorious jail, named Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT), for a Channel 5 documentary, but the programme descended into chaos during his tour of the facility.
While getting through security, Richard gained an insight into the harsh living conditions prisoners have to endure, with the same meal daily, no hot water, bright lights on around the clock, and no activities besides reading the Bible. He spoke to the prison officers enforcing the tough regime, but within minutes, he and the crew were forced to stop filming and booted off the premises. The prison director was not at all pleased with Richard’s line of questioning, as he asked whether the inmates were being treated cruelly.
The guards made Richard’s team turn their cameras away and stop filming before they left the prison. After being booted out of the mega jail, Richard said: “I have to ask difficult questions because if I ask soft questions, people will say, ‘Oh, he’s not objective.’”
Channel 5 viewers took to X to comment on the shocking documentary and on Richard having to leave so soon. One person wrote: “Only Richard Madeley could be booted out of a mega jail after 15 minutes. #insidethemegaprison.”
Another said: “It’s barbaric, isn’t it, Richard?… and it’s absolutely justified. Wipe away those tears. They’re wasted. #insidethemegaprison.”
A third penned: “Watching #insidethemegaprison on @channel5_tv with Richard Madeley but wishing it was Louis Theroux.”
Someone else added: “We’ve Gone From Ross Kemp On Gangs To Richard Madeley doing the world’s most dangerous prisons.”
A fifth remarked: “Watching Richard Madeley Inside The World’s Mega Prison, in El Salvador. Violent, sadistic criminals, murderers and rapists, all human rights stripped. 35 per cell, lights on 24/7, no books, just a bible. We need to get a bit tougher.”
Another penned: “Richard Madeley says ‘it plucks at the heart’. No, Richard, it doesn’t. Those monstrous, murderous maniacs inside the world’s mega prison are exactly where they should be.”
Despite having to be escorted out of the building, Richard and the team were allowed to return at a later date, where he got a greater understanding of the gang-related crime the inmates had been incarcerated for.
The series is available to watch on My5. / daily express
Video
