Ben Fogle replaces Rolf on Channel 5's Animal Clinic

Rolf Harris has been dropped from his Animal Clinic TV series within days of being arrested again over allegations of sexual offences.

The veteran presenter will not return when the Channel 5 programme comes back and he will be replaced by Ben Fogle.

Harris, 83, was arrested for a second time earlier this week after answering police bail and learning he faced additional claims.

He was arrested in March by detectives from Operation Yewtree, the national investigation launched in the wake of abuse claims made against disgraced television presenter Jimmy Savile.

Harris was interviewed under caution on November 29, five days after a search warrant was executed at his home. He was only publicly named as a Yewtree suspect in April and his programme was pulled from the schedules.

Confirming the new series of Animal Clinic will be hosted by adventurer Ben, a Channel 5 spokesman said: "No other presenter was ever contracted to do the second series."

Scotland Yard did not name Harris following his rearrest, but released a statement which said a man had been 'further arrested on suspicion of sexual offences in connection with further allegations'.

Harris has been released on bail to a date later this month.

The Australian entertainer was well known for his Animal Hospital series for the BBC which ran for a decade until 2004. Channel 5 announced a year ago that it had lined up the presenter for its own animal series.

 

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 


An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.