London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Oct 03, 2026

Britain's 50-stone fattest man is hoisted out of his flat by CRANE

Britain's 50-stone fattest man is hoisted out of his flat by CRANE

Jason Holton, 30, from Camberley, Surrey, signed up to JustEat in 2014 and spent £30 a day on takeaways, including doner kebab meat, chips and chicken chow mein.

The mother and full-time carer of Britain's 50-stone fattest man today spoke of her hopes he will 'switch to salads' after he was hoisted out of their third-floor flat by a crane after developing a £10,000-a-year takeaway habit.

Jason Holton, 30, from Camberley, Surrey, has been housebound for five years and spends £30 a day on JustEat takeaways including doner meat, chips and chicken chow mein washed down with 1.5 litres of orange juice and five cans of diet coke.

His 52-year-old mother, Leisa, watched on as her son was evacuated by 30 fireman in a seven-hour operation, which involved structural engineers reinforcing the floor of their two-bed maisonette in case he fell.

She told MailOnline today: 'He always had a bit of an obesity problem. From when he was a child he was ok and not too bad. Most of it was five years ago when he piled on more weight after developing some mental health problems.

'He's been housebound and unable to get out of the house. I'm hoping he'll change things and just keep to salads and not go for takeaway foods. He's already spoken about that. I hope this might wake him up.'

Mr Holton's health problems mean he is unable to work, leaving him on benefits including £197.60 a week Employment Support Allowance and a £112.80 Personal Independence Payment. His mother also gets £200 a month to help with council tax.



Leisa was told her son could die of a heart attack in five years if he does not take serious action to curb his 10,000-calorie daily diet.

The worried mother insisted she has tried to stop him ordering takeaways with his debit card but believes he has an 'addiction' to fast food.

She added: 'Seeing him being lifted out of the flat was very worrying because they said he could actually stop breathing in the move. So I was just glad he was alright.'

'He's still in hospital at the moment, where he's been for nearly two weeks, although he hasn't had an operation yet.

'I haven't been able to visit because of the coronavirus. It's bad and really hard when you are worried about a member of your family but can't go and see them.'

Mr Holton has described how his ballooning weight and various mental and physical health problems had left him depressed. He spent weeks 'waiting for my heart to give up' before eventually calling the emergency services.

Mr Holton - who previously lost several stone at a New Jersey fat camp, is being treated for Lymphoedema, a chronic condition caused swelling in his groin and legs.

It is not known what NHS treatment Mr Holton could receive, but a complex Lymphoedema operation with follow up treatment can cost £4300 a year, according to the British Lymphology Society.

Meanwhile, bariatric surgery to remove excess fat typically costs the NHS £10,000 to £12,000 a patient.

Speaking from his hospital bed, he told The Sun: 'It was amazing because it was the first time in six years I'd experienced fresh air.

'I was given codeine to take away the pain from the crane straps, but all I remember is the breath of fresh air and the breeze rushing over my body.'

The operation, on October 11, was witnessed by a man who was walking by on his way from the pub and recorded what happened.

He told MailOnline: 'At first I thought it was a training operation or something, I didn't realise they were actually moving a person until later.

'All the firefighters set up their equipment before smashing the window and winching him down.'

Mr Holton said he once asked the NHS for gastric band surgery but was turned down. Instead his mother was told to rip up the debit card he uses to buy takeaways.

He became the UK's fattest man after 65st Carl Thompson died in 2015.

The 33-year-old, from Dover, had been housebound for more than a year after doctors warned he needed to lose 70 per cent of his body-weight to survive.

When his mother died of a brain tumour in 2012, Mr Thompson turned to junk food as a means of coping with his grief – despite already being obese.

His weight went from 30 stone to 65 in three years, leaving him unable to care for himself.

Consuming a staggering 10,000 calories every day – four times the usual daily amount for a man – Mr Thompson binged on Chinese takeaways and pizzas he had delivered to his door and claimed to have spent £10 a day on chocolate

Unable to walk or even dress himself, he was bathed and cooked for by a team of NHS carers.


Mr Holton's mother said his severe weight problems developed around five years ago


The winching operation - seen here in video grabs - involved 30 firefighters and took seven hours


Mr Holton was lifted out of his two-bed maisonette in a seven-hour operation that involved structural engineers propping up the floor in case he fell. The window he was removed from is circled in red


Mr Holton became the UK's fattest man after 65st Carl Thompson (pictured) died in 2015

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Councils to Receive Sweeping Planning Powers to Ban New Vape and Betting Shops
Chancellor John Healey Faces Tax and Pension Scrutiny Ahead of Autumn Budget
Metropolitan Police Apologise for Accidental Disclosure in High-Profile Investigation
UK Universities Report Record International Enrolment as Housing Pressure Grows
UK Logistics Firms Monitor Rhine Disruption as Low Water Threatens European Supply Chains
UK Food Industry Warns Inflation Could Approach 7%
UK Introduces Vaping Duty and Mandatory Retail Stamps
Scotland Raises Property Taxes and Expands Child Payment in Annual Budget
Greggs Plans Four Factory Closures With 740 Jobs at Risk
OECD Raises UK 2026 Growth Forecast to 1.1%
UK Inflation Rises to 3.1% as Bank of England Faces Rate Debate
Andy Burnham Criticises Brexit and Says Rejoining EU Single Market Remains an Option
UK Imposes New Sanctions on Russian Military Networks and Propagandists
UK Launches Nationwide Early-Release Prison Scheme
Andy Burnham Says Security Services See Signs of Iranian Involvement in RAF Fairford Incident
Manchester City Found Guilty on Premier League Financial Charges After Independent Investigation
Scottish Court to Rule on Bid to Force No-Confidence Vote Against Aberdeen Council Co-Leader
UK Bans Extra Charges for Seating Children Under 12 Beside Accompanying Adults
UK Introduces Vaping Duty and New Licensing Requirements
Greggs to Close Four UK Factories and Cut 740 Jobs
Hundreds of Prisoners Released Early as England and Wales Prisons Reach 98% Capacity
UK Unveils New Russia Sanctions Targeting War Funding and Shadow Fleet
Burnham Says There Are Strong Indications of Iranian Involvement in RAF Fairford Security Breach
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Raises Prospect of Reviewing Britain's Post-Brexit EU Relationship
Markets Price in Bank of England Rate Increases as Inflation Rises to 3.1%
UK Borrowing Costs Climb Toward 5.5% as Global Bond Sell-Off Intensifies
UK-France One-In-One-Out Migration Agreement Expires as London Seeks Alternative Measures
Southwest England Faces Flood Alerts After Heavy Autumn Storms
UK Expands Funding for Rapid Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
Welsh Government Approves Funding to Upgrade South Wales Transport
Northern Ireland Tensions Rise as Orange Order Rejects Drumcree Compromise
NHS Leaders Back Early Design of Proposed National Care Service
More Than One-Third of Regional UK Universities Face Financial Deficits
UK Current Account Deficit Narrows as Cross-Border Financial Flows Remain Strong
Bank of England and FCA Issue New Rules for Stablecoins and Digital Assets
MI5 Warns UK Universities Over Research Links With Chinese Institutions
UK Energy Price Cap Rises 4% as Electricity VAT Is Temporarily Suspended
Equity Calls for UK Personality Rights to Protect Performers From AI Replication
OpenAI Pauses Advanced Model Training Following Safety Concerns
Scottish Government Proposes Replacing 32 Councils With Larger Regional Authorities
Ofgem Raises UK Household Energy Price Cap by 4% From October
UK Counter-Terrorism Police Continue Investigation After Five Arrests Near RAF Fairford
OECD Cuts UK 2027 Growth Forecast to 1%
Labour Says State Pension Triple Lock Remains Protected Through Current Parliament
Andy Burnham Pledges National Care Service With Free Social Care in England
Six Flags Permanently Shuts Landmark X2 Roller Coaster Following Safety Scandals
Metropolitan Police Rule Out Terrorism in Golders Green Stabbing Investigation
Lithium-Ion Battery Identified as Cause of Fatal Merseyside House Fire
UK Department Rejects New Sea Use Framework Due to Stakeholder Fatigue
Major Thames Water Pipe Burst Causes School Closures in London
×