91Èȱ¬

The Chase

Stories of shaggy dogs and other animals

• As a child, Gaynor Faye wanted to be a vet. She confesses: "I was always bringing in wounded birds, mice, frogs, moles, voles into the house – in fact anything our cat had attacked. And I tried to take care of them.
  
  "I think it drove my parents mad and I got quite a few flea bites over the years!"

Ìý

• During filming Nicola Stephenson helped a ewe give birth to twin lambs. "I'm brilliant with animals, if I say so myself but it would have been far too much studying to be a vet. To be given the opportunity to really help a ewe give birth was amazing. I kept begging them to let me do it for real.
  
  "We were filming the scene in March surrounded by about 200 sheep all going to give birth at some point, so on the day we got lucky and a ewe went into labour.
  
  "The first lamb came out like superman with its front legs over its head. I had to put my hand inside the ewe and hold the lamb's front legs between my knuckles and gently pull it out.
  
  "Then I had to wipe its face to clear away the gunk and rub straw on its chest to help get it breathing. I was euphoric. It was so exciting and overwhelming. I was so shocked I forgot to say my lines so it was lucky the ewe was having twins!"

Ìý

• Nicholas Gleaves was the only member of cast to emulate Christopher Timothy by donning the long rubber gloves needed to put his hand up a cow's bottom. Not an experience he's very keen to repeat as it promptly relieved itself all over him.

Ìý

• Heather Peace fell so in love with a little puppy that fell asleep on her chest during a break in filming that she's adopted him. Bungle is now at home in Brighton where he loves playing on the beach.
  
  Ironically he wasn't even supposed to be in The Chase but was on set waiting to go across the road to appear in a children's TV show. "I'd better not do this show for too long or I'll end up with a menagerie," Heather joked.

Ìý

• Keith Barron tried to frighten Rachel Davies by pretending that the snake which arrived for a morning's filming was an anaconda.
  
  But the joke was on Keith when Rachel revealed that she loves snakes and thoroughly enjoyed working with the slightly less threatening boa constrictor!

Ìý

• Reece Dinsdale admits that he's so far not shown much aptitude for keeping pets. Unbeknown to his daughter, her goldfish was replaced four times before they gave up with fish.
  
  But with a two-year-old son as well, Reece is expecting the clamour for more demanding pets to start soon!

Ìý

• Ben Gaskell, one of the vet advisors on The Chase, admits he was inspired to train as a vet by All Creatures Great and Small.
  
  "I'm one of a generation of vets inspired by the tales of James Herriot and I have really vivid memories of the show. It gave such an idyllic view of working in the Dales, being fed bacon sandwiches by local farmers! But both my parents are vets too so I suspect my destiny was already decided!"

RELATED PRESS OFFICE LINKS:

PRESS RELEASES