Speaking for the RWAF, Rae Todd said: "As we know only too well from our contact with rescue shelters and the public, rabbits sold in pet shops are often bought by people who are not aware of the needs of the species. This is a problem that the RWAF tries to tackle on a daily basis, but in the case of the BBC sell-off it is exacerbated, knowing that the rabbits in question have become used to an enriched environment, and yet could end up alone in a hutch.

"We have attempted to contact the BBC and the production company,  to try and work out a practical solution that does not result in the rabbits going through the pet shop system. We know that many individuals have also raised their concerns.

"The BBC - funded by the British public through the license fee – has not even had the courtesy to respond. The RWAF is appalled that the national broadcaster would not even take the trouble to engage with a national charity with only one agenda, to ensure the welfare of defenceless animals.

"It would be a travesty if these animals - that the programme itself showed to be curious, athletic and sociable - become doomed to live a life of solitary confinement without the ability to display their natural behaviours."