'The Apprentice' star Lottie Lion attracts controversy after voicing support for trail hunting

Amy Johnson
·Contributor
Updated
Lottie Lion has voiced her support for trail hunting. (BBC)
Lottie Lion has voiced her support for trail hunting. (BBC)

The Apprentice star Lottie Lion has shared her support for trail hunting online, resulting in a backlash from some unhappy followers.

It came after the 20-year-old shared a photo from a meet near her home in Somerset where riders could be seen on horseback alongside a pack of dogs.

The Hunting Act 2004 saw that fox hunting was officially banned, however, the practice of trail hunting and drag hunting is still legal.

Read more: Lottie Lion 'shocked' by death threats and harassment

Drag hunting sees groups follow artificial scents, while trail hunting sees them follow animal-based scent trails and attracts controversy as campaigners argue that dogs may still kill wildlife in the process. Ahead of the Boxing Day meets, animal welfare charity League Against Cruel Sports said it will continue to lobby MPs to strengthen the Hunting Act and “remove loopholes”.

Lottie Lion said she was "proud" to be part of the community. (Lottie Lion/Instagram)
Lottie Lion said she was "proud" to be part of the community. (Lottie Lion/Instagram)

"Very proud to be a part of this community. Sad I am not on horse back this year," Lion wrote on the photo.

However, some of her followers weren't happy, with one replying: "Was a fan of yours until i seen that you supported the fox hunt."(sic)

"Hunting? Pathetic," added another.

On one post, one of Lion's followers said hunting for sport was "so wrong" before Lion defended the practice of trail hunting. In reference to the Instagram story she had posted, Lion responded: "It was a trail hunt darling, Fox hunting is illegal xx."

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A post shared by Lottie Lion (@lottie.lion) on

When another fan voiced concern that an animal may have been "accidentally killed", Lion retorted: "Thankfully not this time."

Lion has previously expressed a love of shooting, having posted a photo of herself loading a gun alongside two dead pheasants.

She captioned the snap: "Shoot days are my happy days."

Lion is no stranger to controversy, as it was alleged by her fellow Apprentice contestants that she had posted a racist message in a WhatsApp group earlier this year.

The BBC went on to issue a statement saying Lion had “been informed that her comments were wholly unacceptable and is in no doubt about our view on this”.