Baftas: Judge Rinder honours survivors after accepting gong for Shoah doc

TV judge Robert Rinder paid to tribute to survivors of the Holocaust as he accepted a prestigious award for a documentary exploring his family’s fate in the Shoah.

The BBC One programme Who Do You Think You Are? won best feature, its second Bafta award on Sunday evening.

In an episode of the show, the Judge Rinder star followed the story of his Holocaust-survivor grandfather.

On stage, he said the programme was an example of “what this country can be, regardless of our political background, what we can all be when we act at our very best”.

The 40-year-old star signed up to discover more about his maternal grandfather, Morris Malenicky and great-grandfather, Israel Medalyer, on the celebrity genealogy programme last year.

Senior Reform Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner tweeted in congratulations: So thrilled that ⁦‪Robbie Rinder⁩ won a BAFTA – his description of finding his family’s history had depth, integrity and taught all of us so much. His speech tonight about refugees and showing us Britain at its best is so true.”

Robert Rinder has been active in Holocaust commemoration, attending last Sunday’s Yom HaShoah ceremony in Hyde Park, reading an extract from the Association of Jewish Refugees’ ‘My Story’ project, alongside actress Laura Pradelska.

• Judge Rinder: ‘Who Do You Think You Are was a total gift to my family’
• Watch: Judge Rinder moved to tears by Ben Helfgott in Who Do You Think You Are?