London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 01, 2026

Former EDL boss Tommy Robinson struggles to hold back tears inside Belmarsh prison in TV documentary

Former EDL boss Tommy Robinson struggles to hold back tears inside Belmarsh prison in TV documentary

Former English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson has been filmed fighting back tears as he tried to explain how being imprisoned in solitary confinement had affected him, in an interview for a TV documentary on HMP Belmarsh.

Robinson –real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon– appeared on Ross Kemp’s ITV series ‘Welcome to HMP Belmarsh’ on Thursday night. The documentary gives viewers an insight into one of Britain’s most dangerous prisons, where Robinson was an inmate for nine weeks last year, before being released in September.


During one moment, Kemp’s questions reduced Robinson to tears as he struggled to convey how being in solitary confinement had affected him.

Asked how he was feeling, Robinson fought back tears, responding: “I’d say that my thing is, ‘cause I know I’m going home to my kids and you just wanna be normal.” The 37-year-old is then seen walking away from the camera, before adding: “Yeah, that’s embarrassing.”

However, the controversial figure does manage to open up more about life inside Belmarsh, insisting: “I know what 10 weeks of solitary confinement does.” The claim was ruthlessly slapped down by Kemp.


Robinson was found guilty of contempt over his filming of criminal defendants outside a court and broadcasting the footage online. He was originally sentenced to nine months, but was told in July 2019 that he would only serve 10 weeks in prison, due to time already served for the same offense.

Fellow Belmarsh prisoner Liridon Saliuka, 29, was found dead in his cell on January 2, following a dispute over whether he should have been classified as disabled. He was the third inmate to have died in the jail – which is also where WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is being held – in less than a year. A fellow inmate was found dead in the notorious London facility in November.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Inquest Continues in Northern Ireland into Death of Noah Donohoe in Belfast
UK Travel Industry Calls for Suspension of New EU Border System During Peak Holiday Season
Telegraph Media Group Acquired by German Media Firm in £575 Million Deal Completion
House of Commons Warns Northern Rail Upgrade Risks Repeating High-Speed 2 Cost Overruns
UK Transport Unions Warn of Summer Strike Action Over Pay Disputes
UK Health Secretary Calls Maternity Care Review a “Watershed Moment” for NHS Reform
Nigel Farage Faces Questions Over £270,000 Payment Linked to Gold Marketing Firm
Labour Government Faces Internal Division Over North Sea Oil and Gas Policy Direction
National Screening Committee Invites New Proposals for UK Health Screening Programmes
UK and China Hold Industrial Strategy Talks on Trade and Export Growth Opportunities
UK Defence Funding Gap Widens as £4.7 Billion Shortfall Puts Pressure on Spending Priorities
United Kingdom Faces Historic Demographic Shift as Deaths Forecast to Exceed Births in England and Wales
United Kingdom Introduces Major Motability Scheme Reforms Targeting £1 Billion in Long-Term Savings
Global Billionaire Numbers Rise 13 Percent Amid Artificial Intelligence Stock Boom
Body of Fifteen-Year-Old Boy Recovered from Manchester Reservoir
Major Rail Disruption in UK After Cows Stray Onto Intercity Tracks
UK Launches National Campaign to Reduce Water Consumption After Heatwave
Foreign Secretary David Lammy Raises Case of UK Woman Death with US Authorities
Shetland Islands Council Approves Subsea Tunnel Plans Linking Major Islands
Telegraph Media Group Takeover by German-Led Consortium Completed
Resident Doctors in England Accept Government Pay and Conditions Deal
Andy Burnham Sets Out Ten-Year Economic Vision Amid Labour Leadership Debate
Asylum Seekers in UK Face £10,000 Contribution Requirement Under New Law
UK Government Moves to Break Apple and Google App Store Dominance
New UK Steel Tariffs and Import Quotas Aim to Shield Domestic Industry
Damning Report Exposes Failures in Maternity and Neonatal Care Across England
Government Data Reveals Five Billion Pound Shortfall in UK Defence Budget
Prime Minister Keir Starmer Unveils Three Hundred Billion Pound Defence Investment Plan
UK Crime and Policing Act 2026 Comes into Force with New Justice System Reforms
UK Prime Minister Hosts NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte for Security Talks at Downing Street
UK Tightens Oversight of Emissions Trading Scheme Through New Ministerial Directions
UK Issues Statement at UN Security Council on Violence in the West Bank
UK Environment Agency Clears Illegal Waste Site in West Yorkshire After Court Action
UK Resident Sentenced for Fraudulently Claiming £30,000 in Covid Business Loans
UK Launches Taskforce to Help Young People Claim Dormant Child Trust Fund Savings
UK Gambling Commission Fines Betfred Operator Petfre Gibraltar £900,000 Over Social Responsibility Failures
UK Appoints Lord Collins as Global Envoy for LGBT+ Rights
UK Expands Detention Capacity to Support Removal of Foreign Criminals and Failed Asylum Seekers
UK Resident Doctors End Strike Action After Accepting Government Pay Deal
UK Tightens Sentencing for Domestic Killings with 25-Year Starting Point for Murder of Partners
UK to Build at Least Six New Royal Navy Warships Under Expanded Defence Programme
UK Government Unveils £5 Billion Defence Investment Plan Focused on Drones and Autonomous Warfare Systems
UK Economy Records 0.6% First Quarter Growth as Services and Manufacturing Drive Steady Expansion
Welsh Government Unveils New Agricultural Support Plan Focused on Sustainability and Rural Growth
UK Teacher Recruitment Shortfalls Continue in Science and STEM Subjects
Police Scotland Expands Cybercrime Investigations Amid Rising Digital Fraud
UK Universities Warn of Risk to International Student Numbers Amid Visa Changes
UK Defence Ministry Pivots Toward Greater Domestic Military Procurement
UK Launches National Rail Review After Repeated Service Disruptions
Northern Ireland Assembly Debates Long-Term Funding Settlement for Public Services
×