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'Welcome To HMP Belmarsh' With Ross Kemp Returns To ITV

Mary-Jane Wiltsher

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'Welcome To HMP Belmarsh' With Ross Kemp Returns To ITV

Featured Image Credit: ITV

Ross Kemp's two-part prison documentary series on notorious max-security lock up HMP Belmarsh has already had its share of hype.

The first episode saw Ross and his camera crew investigating the impact that drugs have on prisons and how Belmarsh tackles the rehabilitation of its inmates.

But the moment that racked up all the headlines came when the former EastEnder was left unable to speak after accidentally smoking 'zombie drug' spice.

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Many Twitter users dubbed the scene "TV highlight of the year".

The second episode is set to air on Thursday 16th - and naturally, viewers are wondering whether it will match up in the TV gold stakes.


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In this episode, Ross visits Belmarsh's jail within a jail - the only unit of its kind in England and Wales - where anti-iris and anti-Islamic inmates have to be separated from Islamic prisoners for fear of harmful acts.

He then heads inside one of the most mind-boggling wings of the NHS, the prison healthcare ward.

While there, Ross speaks with Aiden James, charged with terror offences for fighting against ISIS in Syria, who is being treated after attacking another inmate.

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Elsewhere in the episode, Ross sits down with Claire Darbyshire, the only transgender prisoner at Belmarsh, who was given one of the lowest minimum terms for murder in British legal history after killing her father.

In Episode Two, Ross heads inside Belmarsh's jail-within-a-jail, where anti-iris and anti-Islamic inmates have to be separated from Islamic prisoners (Credit: ITV)
In Episode Two, Ross heads inside Belmarsh's jail-within-a-jail, where anti-iris and anti-Islamic inmates have to be separated from Islamic prisoners (Credit: ITV)

Episode Two's scenes continue to build a picture of one of the world's most infamous jails. Over the years, Belmarsh has housed some of the country's most high-profile criminals.

Inmates have included Soham killer Ian Huntley, black cab rapist John Worboys, hate preacher Anjem Choudary, train robber Ronnie Biggs and Charles Bronson.

The prison's inmates have nicknamed it "Hellmarsh".

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Ross is known for his gritty brand of investigative journalism. Over the years, he's tackled subjects like gang warfare, knife crime and armed police units, and famously had guns aimed at him by guerrilla soldiers while filming in Papua New Guinea.

Episode one of the series won headlines when Ross was left unable to speak after accidentally doing the drug spice (Credit: ITV)
Episode one of the series won headlines when Ross was left unable to speak after accidentally doing the drug spice (Credit: ITV)

Bring on episode two. But Ross, watch out for the spice this time, eh?

Welcome To HMP Belmarsh With Ross Kemp airs on ITV on Thursday 9 January at 9pm.

Topics: TV News, TV Entertainment, ross kemp, ITV

Mary-Jane Wiltsher
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