Former BBC Breakfast star Dan Walker has opened up on the "most emotional programme" he's ever worked on, as he discusses the harsh realities of death row.

On Wednesday (May 7), the 48-year-old appeared on ITV's Loose Women to discuss his new show, Dead Man Walking: Dan Walker on Death Row.

In the feature-length documentary, Dan headed to the United States to discover more about the issues surrounding capital punishment and those who have been falsely accused of a crime.

He also met convicted murderers who were soon to meet their fate. Sharing the impact it left on him with the Loose Women panel, Dan expressed how difficult the whole ordeal was.

He said: "What I will say is, it is the most emotional programme I have ever worked on."

He continued: "Sometimes I felt scared, I felt angry, I felt upset. I felt distressed and the weight of that decision," he explained: "Imagine we're all sat here we're judging someone and we all decide we're going to put you to death, we're going to end your life.

"That is a huge thing, not only for that person you made the decision for but for all of you to carry around for the rest of your life as well."

Dan also shared how he felt when he met an inmate who knew who he was. He said: "That was strange! This guy called Charles Thompson, who was a double murderer, and I went to see him in death row in Texas, and I sat down and picked up the phone behind the glass, as you see in films and TV.

"And I said 'hi Charles, I'm Dan Walker' and he said 'Oh yeah, I know all about you.'"

After hearing more about the new Channel 5 programme, viewers shared their thoughts online, with one writing on X: "Should be interesting tonight on #Channel5."

While another commented: "220 on death row who are innocent is a lot."

Releasing a statement about the programme, Dan previously said: "I have always been fascinated by the American justice system and the arguments around the death penalty.

"Staring into the eyes of a convicted murderer, speaking to someone who was innocent but spent nearly 30 years on death row, and meeting those directly affected by these cases was a real eye-opener. I hope viewers see that this issue isn't as black and white as it may seem from afar and understand why it remains such a thorny and divisive topic."

Following his time on BBC Breakfast, Dan went on to become a news anchor on Channel 5. He's also presented shows like Vanished and appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2022.

Dead Man Walking: Dan Walker on Death Row airs May 7th on Channel 5 at 9pm.