A tiny baby hedgehog has become the unexpected star of the Somerset comedy scene after capturing hearts at the Rode Comedy Festival. This little hoglet, saved just before the event, required intensive care that her rescuers couldn’t leave behind — but rather than miss the five-night festival, they brought her along for the ride.
Jennie Owen and her partner Graham, who run Keyford Hedgehog Rescue and Rehab, were faced with an unusual challenge when they took in a very young hoglet shortly before the festival. They reached out to the organisers with a special request: a discreet spot to keep an incubator so the hoglet could be fed every two hours.
Jennie shared in her email to the festival team, “We don’t have anyone to leave her with, and one of us will quietly slip away to feed her during the festival — hoping to avoid surprising any celebs with the sight of a tiny bottle-fed hedgehog!”
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Festival organisers Jarred and Amelia Christmas, operators of Pop-Up Comedy, immediately agreed, welcoming the hoglet backstage. “This was definitely the most unique request we’ve ever received,” said Amelia, “but how could we say no? The little hedgehog brought smiles to everyone and was as popular as our food trucks!”
Behind the scenes at Pitch Perfect Camping, home base for the event, the hoglet stayed safely in an incubator roughly the size of a small fridge. Jennie carefully administered 3ml of specialized milk between comedian sets, then returned to enjoy the performances.
As the weekend went on, the hoglet began to go longer between feeds, stretching to three hours, which gave her carers a welcome breather. Festival attendees and performers alike grew fond of the tiny guest.
Notable comedians such as Phil Wang, Troy Hawke, Sara Pascoe, and Russell Howard all dropped by backstage to meet the festival’s most adorable VIP, adding to the feel-good story that blended comedy with compassionate care.