Lockdown has been a dog’s life for some – but I’m wary of making pets our new TV presenters

My Border Terrier, Badger, has his own arsenal of talents but that doesn’t mean he’s cut out for Channel 4’s new canine-centred show, writes Janet Street-Porter

Badger: a future ‘Britain's Got Talent’ winner? (Janet Street-Porter)

The lockdown means that broadcasters face running out of material unless they are resourceful.

ITV’s Love Island has been cancelled, and drama bosses are talking of placing entire cast and crew on some productions in quarantine so they can interact with each other and continue to shoot. I’m not sure I could cope with two weeks cooped up with my Loose Women co-presenters, much though I enjoy their company.

Channel 4 has a novel solution – replacing human presenters with pets! They’ve announced Snoop Dogs, a version of Through the Keyhole but with a new twist. Dogs fitted with small cameras are allowed to roam through a celebrity’s home while the audience has to guess the owner’s identity.

I can foresee problems – if my Border Terrier, Badger, is typical, all the footage will be shot under the sofa, and in the few inches behind the dustbin. His favourite activity is monitoring the dishwasher if we forget to close the door – anything edible is licked up in seconds.

Sadly, Badger has an inexplicable fear of the fridge door – the minute it opens he hides under the stairs whimpering. Mind you, Badger has other talents – he sings beautifully – so perhaps Britain’s Got Talent are looking for new acts?