Robert Rinder has opened up on a frightening ordeal that saw him 'laughed' at as he was mugged for his phone.
The barrister, known as Judge Rinder, said he had his phone "grabbed" from his hand on Wednesday evening in north London.
Tweeting about the incident, the TV judge said the group of three were wearing balaclavas and "laughed as I shouted to drop it".
"I'm in shock but am insured & privileged," he added. "Others are less lucky. Help me find these people & stop them (financial reward)."
In a further update on Thursday, he tweeted: "After the rage, I feel an overwhelming sense of sadness for these boys because I’ve seen where their path leads.
"In the meantime we need to champion, train & fully resource our brave police officers – who come from EVERY background – to work with ALL communities to protect us."
The Metropolitan Police said officers are investigating a report of a theft at around 8.40pm on Wednesday in Finchley Road.
A statement said: "Three males dressed in black approached the victim and took his mobile phone.
\3Inquiries are ongoing. No arrests at this early stage."
Robert was flooded with messages of support including from singer Beverley Knight.
She replied on Twitter: "I am so sorry Robert. I don’t care about privilege, nothing about what happened to you is ok. No one, absolutely no one likes a teefing(sic) little rass(sic)."
The ITV star responded: "Hear that. The 'privilege' is knowing that I can sort this out and get it replaced.
"As you know, our phones are lifelines to friends & family (especially in lockdown).
"For thousands of other victims this means being cut off or losing a fortune. Thanks for your love."
