Robert Rinder explained he ‘feels sorry’ for the boys that mugged him last month.
The Judge Rinder star was the victim of a mugging in March, when three boys in balaclavas grabbed his phone out of his hands while in London.
It was later revealed there was a police investigation into the incident.
Appearing on Good Morning Britain, he told Susanna Reid and Adil Ray that he actually felt sorry for those involved in the ordeal.
‘I feel sorry for them. Let me be clear, the first thing is, I’m a person of privilege. What does that mean? In my case, I’ve got money,’ the 42-year-old said. ‘That means that I’ve got access to insurance, that meant it cost me £100 and I got my phone back the next day.
‘My compassion wasn’t that I’m some sort of hand ringer who thinks people shouldn’t be punished. Of course they could, but I’ve sat at a table opposite those boys who start with mobile phones and then graduate to something worse.
Rob Rinder opened up about his mugging ordeal (Picture: ITV)
‘When I looked into the faces of people that have graduated to really serious crime, I looked into the face of tragedy. They were bright, articulate, very often emotionally literate young men that found themselves caught up in the gangs.
‘Of course there are other choices. Just because you’re poor, just because you live in bad social housing, it is right to say that you don’t have to get caught up in the gangs.
‘But I urge anybody with that point of view to go and spend some time there.’
Rob opened up about his mugging on Twitter, and was instantly supported by his ITV co-stars over the incident.
In a tweet, he offered a reward to anyone who could provide information, explaining that three ‘boys wearing balaclavas’ grabbed the handset out of his grip.
He claimed that they ‘laughed’ as he shouted at them to drop the phone, adding: ‘Help me find these people & stop them (financial reward).’
Elsewhere in his GMB appearance, the Strictly Come Dancing contestant opened up about working alongside charity Shelter, urging for more to be done to protect renters.
‘The reason they fear eviction is because they’re terrified to go to their landlord and say that they live in hazardous homes,’ he continued.
‘If you don’t think the numbers are high, there are 4million of our neighbours living in rented accommodation, who live in homes that are dangerous. 4million also, who live in accommodation that need urgent repair but what happens is that they are scared to go to their landlord, because the landlord can retaliate.’
To counteract this, he explained that the Renter’s Bill is asking for two things, ‘good landlords’ and to abolish No Fault evictions – which allow private landlords to evict tenants without a reason after their tenancy ends.
He added: ‘So that people don’t find themselves, as millions of people do, being terrified in their homes to complain, on the basis that a landlord will come along and say, “You know what? I’m going to put up the rent. I’m going to remove you and your children”.’
Good Morning Britain continues on weekdays, at 6am, on ITV.
Credit: Original article published here.The post Robert Rinder ‘feels sorry’ for his muggers as he opens up about ordeal appeared on My Celebrity Life.