Stacey Solomon show hit with 1,500 Ofcom complaints over 'animal cruelty'

Stacey Solomon's BBC show Sort Out Your Life has received over 1,500 complaints with the series being accused of "animal cruelty".

In a recent episode, the reality star proposed to a family that they move their pet rabbit from living inside the house to outside in a hutch.

According to Ofcom, there were 1,502 complaints made about the episode making Sort Out Your Life the most complained about TV show between 30 January and 12 February.

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The Rabbit Welfare Association and Trust encouraged viewers to file complaints against the show: "Before we comment any more, we want to make it clear that we think that this is the Production company's responsibility, not the presenter, and we won't allow any comments against Stacey Solomon."

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They added: "We have contacted the Production company for a response. With regards to the ridiculous response from the BBC to ours, and everyone else's complaint, you can follow this up via the same link on their website with the previous complaint case number to hand."

At the time of the broadcast, numerous viewers complained on social media about Solomon advocating for the families' rabbits to be moved outside.

One user wrote on Twitter: "Made the mistake of watching the end of #SortYourLifeOut. Poor rabbits got kicked out of the conservatory into a crappy, tiny, non-weatherproofed hutch outside! Completely unsuitable & irresponsible."

Another said: "Enjoyed this tonight until the rabbits were kicked into the garden. That hutch is too small for anything other than a bolt hole! There's enough bad rabbit rearing without this encouragement #SortYourLifeOut."

The BBC supported Solomon against the complaints and said that rabbits usually "live outside".

The broadcaster added: "The rabbits have full access to a wide, enclosed garden to roam around in, with the hutch being a place to come and go as they please during the day, as well as a safe and secure space for them to sleep in at night."

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The Rabbit Welfare Association and Trust recently compared keeping rabbits in hutches to torture, writing: "To end this suffering, the sale of rabbit hutches needs to stop. Will you help us? Please sign and share our petition to bring an end to this torture many rabbits must call ‘home’."