RTÉ HAS CONFIRMED that it received 88 formal complaints from viewers of Friday night’s Late Late Show about a segment which involved placing newborn lambs on a type of carousel.
The lambs were used to demonstrate a new invention from TJ Gormley, a Galway-based entrepreneur. He said the contraption, which holds the lambs in place, made tagging them on a farm more humane than current practices.
However the first lamb he placed in it looked rather frightened, with host Ryan Tubridy questioning whether the lamb was in any distress.
“The poor little head on him!” he exclaimed.
Some viewers on the night took to Twitter to express their concern about the segment, with some claiming it was animal cruelty.
Others pointed out that this is just what farming looks like:
The national broadcaster confirmed that there were 88 formal complaints made about the segment. A further eleven members of the public contacted RTÉ by phone and email to leave feedback about the show.
“To put that in context, Friday night’s show was the third most watched Late Late Show of this season, watched by an average of 605,700 with a 44% share, so this represents a tiny percentage of the audience,” a spokesperson commented.
- With reporting by Paul Hosford.
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