One of the stars of Ross Kemp 's new documentary Britain's Tiger Kings has slammed owners who treat big cats like status symbols.
The former EastEnders actor, 56, returned to TV last night with his hard-hitting new show about big cat owners in the UK.
During the first episode, Ross was seen talking to Andrew Riddle, a businessman who amassed a large collection of exotic animals including a tiger named Syrus.
Andrew broke the news to Ross that his animal had died shortly before filming began after falling ill.
He took the presenter to see the tiger's skin as he was having his former pet taxidermied, and said he was inconsolable when Syrus had to be put down by the vet.
Admitting he was devastated to see the animal's skin lying on the table, Andrew got choked up as he told Ross about losing his beloved tiger.
He said: "Of course it's upsetting, if you saw your pet cat or dog come back and saw it on a table as a piece of skin, it does your head in.
"I was gutted [when I had to say goodbye]. I mean like now I'm getting a bit choked up. But it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up when I went to fetch it.
"And it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up when I was laid next to it and they gave it the injection to put it to sleep for the last time because it was poorly.
"I never cried when my mother and father died, but I'll be honest with you when I put him down. I walked down the yard and vet called me back and I couldn't turn to her. [I cried] yeah a bit but you don't want to show it do you."
Andrew went on to declare he doesn't agree with big cat being used as status symbols, insisting he loved his tiger and was devastated when he died.
He added: "I mean we can all go out and buy a Rolex or have a silly Bentley sat on the drive but you can't go to Tesco and get a tiger and he was my cat.
"He was donated to me. And like I said, he gone isn't he. He's gone."
