Vernon Kay's BBC Radio 2 broadcast took an unexpected turn on June 25 when a light-hearted discussion about keeping pets cool sparked an awkward on-air misunderstanding. The presenter was reading listener tips for coping with soaring temperatures when the conversation turned to his Chihuahua, Blue.
Vernon Kay's Pet Cooling Tips
After reading a suggestion about freezing a hot water bottle, Vernon revealed the lengths he and his wife Tess Daly had gone to help their dog stay comfortable overnight. He said: “We wrapped our Chihuahua last night, in a towel, a wet towel. Little Blue. 'Cause he was struggling. He really was struggling, do you know what I mean? Little, little lad. He's a big 'un, so he's struggling. So Tess said, 'Why don't we just put him in a wet towel?' So I was like, 'yeah, looks like a poncho'. So, he had this poncho over him all night, just chilling.”
Listener Suggestions and Vernon's Reaction
More listeners weighed in with cooling methods, including placing cool mats under bedsheets and inside pillowcases. The discussion returned to Blue when Vernon read another recommendation: cucumber slices. However, Vernon was unconvinced. “If you put a cucumber slice in front of our dog, it's not going to keep him cool. He's just going to wolf the whole thing down,” he joked. He added: “Maybe if they ingest it, then I guess that cools them down, but, you know, if it's not savoury, if it's not chicken or beef, he's having none of it. You know what I mean? Put them on his eyes, make him look cool and chilled? He's brilliant. He's struggling, though.”
Awkward On-Air Misunderstanding
The conversation took an unexpected turn when travel reporter Bobbie Pryor attempted to suggest another way of helping dogs cope with the heat. She said: “Are you not tempted to dig him a hole under the hedge? They need to be in the damp... What I meant was, sorry, let me just...” Sensing the unfortunate wording, Vernon immediately interrupted with: “He's not dead yet.” As laughter broke out in the studio, Bobbie quickly clarified what she meant, explaining that dogs often enjoy lying in cool, damp soil. She said: “No, no, sorry. I didn't think about that. What I meant is, you know they like to crawl. Hang on, the producer's looking at me. Producer Phil is looking really worried.. What I meant, they like sitting in damp earth. So you've got, you know, a lot of hedgerows. You got some big trees. If you dig out a patch... Come on, that's what kind dog parents you are.”
Vernon Escalates the Joke
Vernon couldn't resist escalating the joke, replying: “If you're listening Tess, get him in the ground.” A horrified Bobbie quickly tried to rescue the situation, insisting: “I didn't mean that, Tess. What I meant was, find him some shade. Dig him a damp space.” Summing up the increasingly chaotic exchange, Vernon asked: “What is the heat doing to us?” Bobbie then rounded off the segment with a tongue-in-cheek apology, admitting: “So sorry, everybody. It's the BBC. They expect more from me. Trusted voice of the BBC. What am I doing?”
