Phillip Schofield just met his first furry live on This Morning
Philip Schofield chats to Adrian James, a furry. (Screen captures via ITV)
Phillip Schofield met his first furry live on This Morning on Wednesday (27 January).
Schofield and This Morning co-host Holly Willoughby spoke to Adrian James, who has dressed up as a bunny named Pop throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
“I found the furry fandom and they are like-minded people who like the suits and stuff,” Adrian said on the daytime talk show.
“So I started getting into that and before I knew it I was going to meets and conventions, I made local friends, they’re lovely.”
The furry community describes a diverse group of people, ranging from artists to role players among many others, that share an interest in anthropomorphized animals – that is, animals given human characteristics, such as walking on their hind legs.
Phillip Schofield is all ears as he asks furry if alter-ego is a ‘fetish’.
James’ interest in the culture all started with a cuddly toy rabbit that his father bought him as a child – it was then he realised his affinity with the creatures.
In the years since, James has spent more than £10,000 on rabbit costumes, accessories and carrots. His hare-raising hobby left Schofield and Willoughby stunned.
“There are a lot of people who will be watching this and wondering if this is a fetish?” Willoughby asked. “But that’s not the case for you is it?”
“No not really,” James said, chatting to the presenters via video uplink in his home surrounded by bunny plushies.
“I am wearing this suit now and it’s very hot in here, I am not interested in the whole fetish thing really, it’s far too hot.”
“But you did say ‘not really’, you said ‘not really a fetish’,” Schofield, 58, replied.
“Is there an element of it on a cool day or when you have just put it on where you might creep into that?”
“No,” James responded.”I don’t think so. For me, it’s about making the suits and wearing them, going to conventions and stuff.
“No, it’s not for me, that stuff.”
James added that he enjoys when people stop and stare at him on the street – he doesn’t carrot all what people think of him – as children even chase him and give him high fives.
He said: “I just want to put a smile on people’s faces.”
