Chris Packham has this message for Ant and Dec
Wildlife TV presenter and conservationist Chris Packham has called for Ant and Dec to “stand up and be counted” in the fight against animal cruelty during an appearance on The Jeremy Vine Show on Channel 5.
The Springwatch presenter appeared on the show to discuss his open letter to Ant and Dec on Twitter, criticising ITV’s I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here for its use of animals in the show.
Speaking via video link from Southampton, he was flanked by images of the Geordie duo as he told Jeremy that he believes the pair has an ethical responsibility to educate audiences about nature.
“It’s time for them to stand up and be counted at a time when we all have to do so if we want a healthy, sustainable future for our children and grandchildren,” he implored.
However, Jeremy played Devil’s advocate reading out a viewer’s comment from Facebook that said: “The animals are not harmed and are well looked after by trained people. This is nothing to worry about.”
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“I just saw that clip – were those cockroaches being well looked after? Were the green ants being well looked after?” Chris enquired.
“When you see the toads in the enclosures, don’t tell me these animals aren’t stressed and don’t tell me they’re not being harmed.
“We can’t make those artificial judgments. You know, people wouldn’t be doing it with kittens and puppies, would they?” He queried.
Asked if he would ever appear on the show, Chris responded that he doesn’t think he’s on producers’ wish lists “after the raft of letters that I’ve written off over the years”.
However, he did offer up a viable suggestion as to how he could help with the show.
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“If they dropped those trials and if they put in a role for someone who would communicate with the participants the importance of these animals,” he said.
“And frankly, how extraordinarily lucky they are to be spending time in a rainforest, a place where many people never have the fortune to visit, which is full of life.
“They need someone like me to be there as an educator to engage people with these animals and talk about how important they are. And wouldn’t that be a fantastic change for ITV on a flagship program like this with an audience of millions?”
The Jeremy Vine Show is on Channel 5 at 9.15am weekdays.
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