Richard Madeley was dramatically ejected from El Salvador's notorious CECOT prison just 15 minutes into filming a Channel 5 documentary after questioning the prison director about the harsh conditions. The presenter, known for his gaffe-prone style, visited the 57-acre maximum-security facility, considered the most controversial in the world, for the programme 'Richard Madeley: Inside the World's Mega Prison'.
The prison, which can hold up to 40,000 inmates, has been criticised by human rights groups over allegations of physical assaults, torture and sexual violence. Madeley was shown around by director Belarmino García, who reportedly greets new arrivals with 'welcome to hell'. After seeing inmates kept on steel bunk beds for 23.5 hours a day with no mattresses or reading material, Madeley asked García if the conditions were 'cruel', prompting an angry response and an order to leave.
'I think I may have overstepped the mark,' Madeley told viewers. 'My questioning led to some questioning. I'm still hoping to see much more of the prison but for now, we've been shown the door.' He was allowed back the next morning at 4am, where his sympathy for the prisoners waned after being shown a video of an inmate committing a machete murder. 'Holy cow. You don't want to see this,' he said.
Madeley also visited an isolation cell where misbehaving prisoners spend 30 days in solitary confinement. 'There she goes,' he nervously uttered as the door closed. The documentary aired on Channel 5 last night.
