ATV Choice: Inside Guinness World Records

In a new two-part series ITV1 and Guinness World Records bring to screens more record breakers. In the first edition the dramatic moment French daredevil Alain Robert – dubbed “Spiderman” for his amazing free-climbs – attempts to scale 300m up ‘The Torch Hotel’ in Doha to set a new Guinness World Record.

 The footage, taken from tomorrow’s opening episode of the new two-part ITV 1 documentary ‘Inside Guinness World Records’, capture the 50 year-old on his death-defying climb as he is tracked by Guinness World Records Adjudicator Andrea Banfi.

The climb which took place in April of this year, took Robert 1 hour 33 minutes and 47 seconds to complete, setting a new Guinness World Record for the Fastest time to climb The Torch Doha. He scaled Doha’s tallest tower without a harness or safety ropes in front of a crowd who watched from the ground below. In an incredible sequence that stunned the documentary crew, Alain calls the official adjudicator from the top of the tower.

On completing the climb and clinching the Guinness World Record Alain said: “When you reach the top it feels like you are reborn. It’s an amazing feeling.”

Robert, who has been climbing tall buildings since the age of seven, has now scaled more than 90 giant structures around the world, including the Empire State Building and Burj Khalifa Tower.

However, it looks unlikely he’ll be adding London’s new Shard building to his list of achievements. The owners of the capital’s tallest skyscraper have taken out an injunction, to prevent him entering or going up the building.

“Made with exclusive access to Guinness World Records’ adjudicators who have the power to make people’s dreams come true, the film travels from Wolverhampton to Kathmandu, from Northampton to Qatar to explore the unique world of the superlative. Whatever our differences there’s one thing that unites us – our need for recognition. This entertaining and engrossing documentary tells the stories of the people behind the records and discovers what drives them to become Guinness World Record holders.” ITV state.

Included in the episode Smokey the Cat with the loudest purr, Chandra Dangi the Worlds Smallest Man, Sultan Kosen the Worlds Tallest Man and Elaine Davidson the  Most Pierced Woman.

The first of the two-part documentary ‘Inside Guinness World Records’ is on ITV1 on Tuesday at 8pm