London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Sep 29, 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
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
Aldi Commits £900 Million to Expand UK Supermarket Network
Scottish Affairs Committee Warns Skills Shortages Threaten Defence Sector Expansion
Parliamentary Committee Warns Northern Ireland Budget Deadlock is Stalling Economic Growth
NHS Hospitals in England Face Severe Shortages of Essential Medications
Home Secretary Signals Major Overhaul of UK Immigration and Leave to Remain Policies
Chancellor Promises New Job Schemes Alongside Strict Fiscal Discipline
Energy Secretary Proposes Taxpayer-Funded Green Transition and National Electricity Grid
UK Government to Renationalise Avanti West Coast Railway Franchise in March
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Pledges Major Social Care and Infrastructure Reforms
Five Suspects Released on Bail Following Alleged Bomb Plot Near RAF Fairford
UK Diesel Prices Hit Record High of 199p Per Litre
Transport for Wales and Network Rail Complete Electrification of South Wales Metro
Defra Expands Incentives for Sustainable Farming and Biodiversity in England
Northern Ireland Executive Approves Funding Package to Resolve Public Sector Pay Disputes
Universities UK Warns of Financial Insolvency Risks for Higher Education Institutions
UK Prisons Activate Emergency Protocols to Manage Capacity Pressures
UK Government Establishes New Safety Standards for Frontier AI Models
Home Office Tightens Skilled Worker Visa Requirements and Dependent Rules
Ministry of Defence Restructures Royal Navy Frigate Procurement to Prevent Overruns
UK Government Mandates New Housing Targets to Address National Shortage
UK and Scottish Governments Reach Agreement on North Sea Energy Transition
NHS Launches Digital Overhaul to Reduce Surgical Backlogs in England
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates as Service Sector Inflation Persists
UK Chancellor Announces Fiscal Consolidation Measures to Stabilize National Debt
RNLI Chief Executive Condemns Misinformation and Abuse Targeting Volunteer Crews
Metropolitan Police Charge Swindon Man with Assisting Foreign Intelligence Services
British Intelligence Report Warns Environmental Collapse Threatens Global Defense Infrastructure
Conservative Party Rejects New Taxes to Fund UK Social Care Reforms
Labour Government Signals Intent to Ease Residency Restrictions for Foreign Care Workers
Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Støre Meet to Strengthen North Atlantic Defense
UK Government Plans to Revive Equity Loan Scheme to Assist First-Time Home Buyers
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Pledges Radical Reform for UK Utilities and Social Care
UK Treasury Prepares Difficult Autumn Budget Amid High Debt and Energy Volatility
Civil Aviation Authority Launches Review of Air Traffic Systems Following Digital Failure
X Reports First Increase in UK Revenues Following Advertiser Boycott
Shetland Islands Council Approves £400 Million Inter-Island Tunnel Project
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband Warns Iran Against Hostile Activities on British Soil
UK Ministers Concede Chagos Islands Sovereignty Agreement Terminated After US Opposition
More in Common Poll Projects Hung Parliament with Labour Leading and Reform UK Gains
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Defends Economic Strategy as Public Finances Face Headwinds
Tony Blair Urges Government to Set Long-Term Goal of Rejoining the European Union
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Pledges Universal Free Social Care Funded Through General Taxation
UK Diesel and Petrol Prices Surge Near All-Time Highs Amid Middle East Energy Volatility
Analysis of Reform UK conference highlights deep political divisions over welfare and immigration
Bangladesh garment exports to the United Kingdom reach $915 million in early fiscal year
×