Secrets of the Krays: Everything you need to know about the BritBox Original documentary

BritBox is releasing a highly-anticipated true crime documentary, Secrets of the Krays, with unprecedented access to the people who knew the infamous twins, Ronnie and Reggie Kray.

Available to stream and watch later this week, the series is an in-depth look at the most famous gangsters in British history.

The film will include interviews with former gang members, relatives and family friends, as well as celebrity photographer and friend David Bailey, the Krays’ lawyers, and police officers involved in bringing them to justice.

The contributors will include Micky Fawcett, a key member of the Krays' gang ‘The Firm’, who has never spoken before on film.

What's new on BritBox this month

Filmmakers have got access to never-before-seen artefacts, including Reggie’s personal scrapbook documenting the brothers’ crimes, Reggie’s personal photographs, audio recordings from prison, a poem from Ronnie to Reggie, and two unpublished manuscripts from former gang members – as well MI5 files on the Krays.

Painting a picture of Britain in the 60s, the decade when England won the World Cup, the Beatles and Elvis rocked the world and Harold MacMillan was Prime Minister, the series will show how brothers Ronnie and Reggie built a criminal empire on menace and violence.

When is Secrets of the Krays released?

Watch Secrets of the Krays on BritBox from May 13.

It is a three-part documentary series produced by ITN Productions.

First look clip of Secret of the Krays

Seen for the first time in this new clip from the upcoming docu-series is Reggie Kray’s personal scrapbook, in which he kept press clippings showcasing his and twin brother Ronnie’s most violent early crimes.

Articles with headlines such as 'Youth Is Beaten Up By Gang' and 'Razor Threat To Girl Witness' describe vile attacks carried out with bicycle chains, lavatory chains and coshes, shedding light on the twins' early proclivity for violence as well as their obsession with fame and publicity. A craving which inevitably helped lead to their downfall...

The day Judy Garland met the Krays

The upcoming BritBox Original docuseries explains how the notorious Kray twins used their fame and status to rub shoulders with Hollywood royalty.

The pair used their influence to arrange a special visit from Judy Garland to their family home (on Vallance Road, Bethnal Green) to perform a rendition of Somewhere Over The Rainbow  to their mum Violet.

The relationship between crime and celebrity is explored as part of the series. Whilst undoubtedly, the twins craved and revelled in their fame and elevated social status, for the likes of Joe Louis, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland and Diana Dors it seems it was as much a badge of honour to be photographed with the infamous twins.

More true crime documentaries to watch next on BritBox

Secrets of the Krays joins a big library of true crime documentaries on BritBox.

Highlights include Inside Strangeways and Inside Wormwood Scrubs, documentaries exploring the most famous prisons in Britain and the stories of the people, celebrities and gangs housed inside them.

Mafia Women with Trevor McDonald has the broadcaster meeting women who are ‘married to the mob’ or daughters of hitmen and criminal bosses and Broadmoor takes viewers inside Britain’s most notorious criminal hospital.

Meanwhile, Louis Theroux Behind Bars follows the popular documentary-maker as he steps inside San Quentin jail to meet murderers, gang members and vulnerable inmates.

The best documentaries to watch on BritBox