Richard Madeley has opened up about a distressing moment during the filming of his new Channel 5 documentary, Richard Madeley: Inside the World's Mega Prison, in which he was shown footage of a brutal execution. The ITV host visited the Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT), a maximum security prison in El Salvador, and was confronted with the harrowing video.
Appearing on Good Morning Britain on Thursday, May 28, Madeley described the footage to co-presenters Richard Arnold and Charlotte Hawkins. He explained that the video showed five road workers being executed by a gang member with a machete after they had strayed into rival territory. 'It was like an ISIS beheading,' he said.
Madeley admitted that he was not prepared for the footage, calling it 'a bit of an ambush'. However, he added that he was 'glad' he saw it, as it underlined the brutality of the gang members. 'I'll process it, I'll get it through my synapses at some point,' he said.
The documentary also explores the harsh conditions inside CECOT, including constant bright lighting, no activities except reading the Bible, identical daily meals, and no hot water. Madeley interviewed prison officers and sampled the inmates' food, describing feeling 'sickened' by the crimes that led prisoners there.
Richard Madeley: Inside the World's Mega Prison is available to stream on Channel 5. Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV1 and ITVX at 6am.
