Hailey van Braam
Raphael Rowe, the host of Netflix’s hit documentary series, Inside The World’s Toughest Prisons, unveils that he will be detained for a week in Nicosia Central Prisons in Cyprus to get fresh content for the series.
The British reporter was formerly wrongly convicted at age 19 for murder and robbery, given a life sentence to serve at London’s Central Criminal Court in 1990. His sentence was lifted 12 years later, upon which he pursued journalism before joining BBC. Today, Rowe not only hosts the documentary series, but also the Podcast, Second Chance.
The 52-year-old journalist told Express in 2020 that the road which led to his investigative journalism inside the world’s toughest prisons was unique. But rather than allow the journey to break him, he embraced what happened to him.
The @netflix series Inside The World’s Toughest Prisons is just the beginning of this important work. pic.twitter.com/t91cyELBAd
— Raphael Rowe (@areporter) October 12, 2021
Investigative journalist Paul Connolly was the show’s initial host but was replaced by Rowe by the time the second season rolled around. Rowe’s next project involves engaging with convicted criminals at Nicosia Central Prisons, which houses Cyprus’s distinctive serial killer, Nikos Metaxas, also referred to as Orestis. The convict was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murders of seven missing people, including two children and five women.
Rowe was handcuffed like any criminal and processed into the prison after a basic admission interview. He was then instructed on the prison rules as well as guidelines for other activities such as extra curricula’s, taking lessons, interactions with other inmates and attending events.
Season 5 of Inside The World’s Toughest Prisons is available on Netflix, having premiered on January 8. Netflix dropped its official trailer on 11 December 2020, showcasing the journalist’s interaction with convicts and prison staff from different detention centers.
As of now, Netflix hasn’t revealed its game plan for a sixth run of the show, but it’s not to say that it won’t happen. Let’s cross our fingers that they follow suit with another January season debut.
