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Rescue cat Spud becomes a star in BBC dramas

Zoe Toase
BBC News, Lancashire
BBC A black and white cat, Spud, looks off from the camera with the blurred out brick wall of a house and a railing behind him.BBC
Fans from America and Canada are tuning in to watch Spud's antics on social media

A rescue cat has become a TV hit after starring in two BBC series.

Spud, from Preston, has appeared in BBC One's This City is Ours and The Responder with Sue Johnson and Martin Freeman.

Owner and manager Carol Walker, who runs the SRPCC Cat Welfare Trust, said the fame feels "a bit surreal".

"I can't believe how he has taken off - he just takes it in his stride like he takes everything," she said.

"The last year has just been phenomenal," she added.

A black and white cat, Spud, eats from a metal food bowl on the floor in a kitchen. Someone's legs wearing black pants are behind him. A washing machine and kitchen cupboards can also be seen behind the cat.
Spud has appeared in episodes of The Responder and This City is Ours

Spud was rescued from a stray litter and rehomed in 2019.

Ms Walker said she knew from the age of 10 weeks that the feline was born to be a star.

"I've never had a kitten come in before who has been so confident and won everyone over so fast," she said.

"He is definitely one of a kind."

Spud has become a big hit on social media, attracting more than 8,000 fans from across the world, including New Zealand, Canada and America.

"Social media has been very good to him," Ms Walker said.

"It's a bit surreal sometimes."

A woman with grey, short hair, wearing a red t-shirt, holds the black and white cat Spud in her arms and is kissing his head. She is standing in a garden and behind her is a large cat scratching post and climbing frame made from wood and chicken wire. It is a cloudy day.
Spud is landing on his feet when it comes to TV roles

Ms Walker said Spud was known for being "very nosey" and was more than happy to be handled.

"It is very difficult with a cat, it's not like a dog, you can't train them quite as easily," she said.

"But I couldn't have believed how well he's done with the filming and I'm really happy with all the money we're making for the three cat charities because that just makes such a huge difference."

The feline star has appeared alongside The Hobbit actor Martin Freeman, who plays PC Chris Carson in The Responder, and has also featured in The City is Ours, with both dramas being filmed in Liverpool.

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