BBC Breakfast’s Sally Nugent struggles to contain herself on the iconic red sofa as she hears the tale of an animal lover who mistook the top of a bobble hat for a hedgehog in need.
The presenter, 52, broke down in a fit of giggles as co-host Jon Kay read out stories of would-be Good Samaritans who mistook inanimate objects for animals in need.
As Jon read out submissions from viewers who mistook food – and worse – for the spiky mammals, the journalist failed to hold onto her nerves and had to cover her face as she laughed at the mortifying mistakes.
Sally giggled as Jon told her of a woman who mistook a fruit loaf she had thrown out for the birds for an animal – while a man described carrying a lump of horse poo out of the road after stopping traffic to rescue what he thought was a hedgehog .
In both cases, minutes apart, Sally lost her composure as she tried to process the hysterical stories – to Jon’s amusement.
Sally Nugent was reduced to giggles as Jon Kay read out stories of Brits who had mistakenly inanimate objects for animals
She begged Jon for the identity of an item one woman had wrapped in a towel overnight – and broke down when he revealed it was a fruit loaf
Minutes later she covered her face as Jon revealed another viewer had mistaken horse poo for a hedgehog – but carried it to the roadside to save face after stopping traffic
Carol Kirkwood joins in the laughter for the second story as a hysterical Sally asked of the man who carried the horse droppings: ‘What did he then do with his hands?’
A tale came after a woman in Cheshire carefully nursed what she thought was a stricken ‘baby hedgehog’ overnight only to find out it was a fluffy hat bobble (pictured)
Hospital manager Janet Kotze (pictured) said ‘couldn’t believe what she was seeing’ when she made the discovery
Ms Kotze added that if people see a hedgehog out in the open during daytime they should be taken to a rescue as it is a sign they are distressed (stock photo)
Sally had been sharing the story of Cheshire animal hospital manager Janet Kotze, who told yesterday of how a well-meaning woman had brought in what she thought was a hedgehog for care – only to be told it was the top of a bobble hat.
She told that story with nothing but professionalism – but as Jon began to read out the submissions from others who had made similar mistakes, the mask slipped.
One viewer, called Sue, wrote in to tell her tale of what she thought was a hedgehog that remained all day in her garden. Later that night, she wrapped it in a towel and took it carefully inside to dry off without examining it closely.
As Sally begins to giggle and begins to know what the item is, Jon continues to tell the tale – while she covers her face and scrunches up her face in giggles.
‘What is it, Jon?’ she asks, her voice peaking – as he replies: ‘It’s a fruit loaf,’ sending her into a fresh fit of laughter.
Sue admitted she had tossed out a fruit loaf in the garden for the birds to peck at – before forgetting she had done so as she went out to inspect the ‘spiky’ shape the animals had made as they fed on it.
‘I can be a bit scatty sometimes,’ Sue’s message read – prompting Jon to add: ‘You’re telling me, Sue.’
‘I don’t think anyone is going to send us a better one than that one,’ Sally said.
But the Strictly Christmas special star was proven wrong minutes later by viewer Theresa, who shared another, even more embarrassing story.
She said her husband had stopped a line of traffic on a rural road while driving home from work after spotting a hedgehog in the road – only to realize as he approached that it was a pile of horse droppings.
‘He was too embarrassed because everybody was watching him so he gently picked up the horse poo and put it over the hedge and all the drivers started applauding him, thinking he’d saved a hedgehog,’ Jon said, as Sally burst out in giggles again.
‘What did he then do with his hands?’ she asked among titters, as weather forecaster Carol Kirkwood waved her hands in mock horror.
‘This is bringing the nation together,’ Jon joked.
The submissions came after Janet Kotze, manager at Lower Moss Wood Nature Reserve & Wildlife Hospital in Knutsford, received a drop-off from a well-meaning local who mistook the top of a bobble hat for a helpless hedgehog.
It had been dropped off in a box carefully lined with newspapers and pet food – only to be hastily taken away when the error was pointed out.
Ms Kotze recalled: ‘She was very sweet, bless her, her heart was in the right place.
‘She took the box from me and left quite quickly.
‘I found it funny afterwards but I couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing because to me a hedgehog was obviously a hedgehog.
‘I don’t think she’ll make the same mistake again, I think she’ll check next time.’
But Ms Kotze added that if people see a hedgehog out in the open during daytime they should be taken to a rescue as it is a sign they are distressed.
Janet said: ‘It’s a golden rule that hedgehogs shouldn’t be out in the day, especially little ones like that, but she did absolutely the right thing – aside from the fact that it wasn’t a hedgehog.
‘Mostly if they’re found out in the daytime in the open, there’s definitely something wrong and they should be taken to rescue.’
