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Musician Will Young, who was just discovered to be ITV’s latest Masked Singer, has spoken out about the UK’s “major problem” with animal testing.
Young made the comments during a live television interview on ITV’s Lorraine. According to the broadcasting company, the show attracts an average of 1.2 million viewers per episode.
In the segment, Young – who celebrates his 43rd birthday today, on January 20 – made mention of a protest he participated in last year.
On November 16, the songwriter handcuffed himself to the gates of a puppy breeding facility in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire.
“I handcuffed myself – I think people thought I’d had another breakdown – I handcuffed myself to a place in Cambridge called MBR Acres which breeds over 2,000 beagle puppies a year for animal testing,” Young told Lorraine Kelly, host of the eponymously named program.
MBR Acres experiments on puppies to develop medical treatments for humans. Campaigners say dogs are sent to laboratories at around 16 weeks of age, and are typically killed at around six months old.
Young described the puppies’ experiences as “torture.”
‘People didn’t realize’
The Pop Idol winner continued: “There’s over 600 places in the UK that still test on puppies. And also there are charities, the British Heart Foundation tests on animals.
“You know, it’s a great charity but we also need to know where our money is going. People didn’t realize, they thought [animal experiments] went out with The Body Shop in the ‘80s,” the performer continued, referring to the beauty brand’s anti-animal testing campaign, which kicked off in 1989.
“There is a major problem with animal testing,” Young stated.
He urged anyone who feels “hopeless about any situation” to consider “peaceful, direct protests.”
“I choose to do it for animals, and mental health,” Young added.
