They didn't want me, just a ferret as illustration. For what? "It's a program about asthma and allergies, and it's boring just to mention ferrets and not show one."

It sounded like the woman who called thought ferrets could be good for allergics. So I said I didn't think I wanted to participate if they'd say anything like that.

Yesterday she called back, and said the experts also didn't think ferrets were especially good for allergics, so it was OK for me to come.

I was picked up by a taxi who brought me, Alison and Rustan into town. Other animals to be on the program was a leguana, a chinchilla and a small pig.

After we'd been there 10 minutes, it turned out that there was a ferret allergic on the panel, so "the ferret has to be cancelled".