The Gogglebox stars were left screaming as a poor snail nearly met it’s doom in a new advert from the RSPCA that wasn’t pulling punches.
The animal charity raised eyebrows as it showed battery chicken farms, squashed spiders, and a bee meeting an untimely end at the blades of a lawn mower.
Filled with animals singing along to the hit song Respect by Aretha Franklin, it first aired on Friday night during Channel 4’s beloved show.
It highlights not only suffering cats and dogs but foxes, ducks, and cows in the RSPCA’s first rebrand since the 1970s to mark its 200th anniversary this year.
Amid gasps and ‘aww’s from the stars, a poor lobster asks for ‘a little respect’ — with a little voice cameo from Brian Blessed — as he’s yanked from a tank.
The seafood platter fate of the lobster sparks fan favourite Lee Riley to turn to his friend Jenny Newby and declare: ‘Do you know they suffer from anxiety?’
‘What? Lobsters?’ she replied to which he confirmed, ‘yeah’ before the advert cut to the Malones as Julie added: ‘They do have feelings you know, animals.’
Of his inclusion in the campaign, in a statement to Metro.co.uk, RSPCA Vice-President Brian said: ‘It fills me with immense sadness that all too often these animals [lobsters] are not treated with the same kindness and respect as others.
‘All animals can feel sadness and pain but also great joy and happiness too. I learnt not that long ago that rats actually giggle!
‘Knowing things like this really makes you see them in a whole new light – and that is what I hope other people will do too after watching the RSPCA’s new advert.
‘Every animal deserves kindness and respect and I am joining the RSPCA’s Million Strong Movement for Animals to play my part in making sure animals have a better life.’
In another tense moment, the Worthingtons look horrified as footsteps menacingly approached a tiny snail on a pavement.
‘Oh my god not the snail,’ cried Helena before the clip cut back to Jenny, who shouted: ‘Oh god! Don’t! No!’
Thankfully, the owner of the boots stops before crushing the snail and states ‘hello mate’ as the Goggleboxer breathed a sigh of relief.
‘It doesn’t take too much to do something to help animals, does it?’ said Helena as Respect played in the background.
As the advert drew to a close, the slogan ‘every animal deserves every kindness’ splashed across the screen before showing the rebranded RSPCA logo.
The new advert will run until May 9, with events across the country running in connection to the campaign.
In a statement, Olivia Reid, RSPCA assistant director of marketing and communications, said: ‘We want people to rethink their relationship with all animals.
‘As a nation, we love our cats and dogs, but we are also connected to billions of other animals in our lives, through the things we buy and the choices we make. We often don’t realise that we are unintentionally funding, fuelling or furthering suffering.
‘From intensive farming taking place behind closed doors, use of some animals in sport and entertainment, extreme breeding and the “cute” images we share on social media, society regularly turns a blind eye to how we treat our fellow creatures.
‘So we are shining a light on the joy of animals living their best lives, happy and fulfilled, and full of emotions and experiences. We want everyone to realise every animal deserves our kindness and respect.’
Gogglebox airs Fridays at 9pm on Channel 4.
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