A new teatime television show could make a star out of a former Maryport man.

Embarrassing Pets will take the Channel 4 slot previously filled by such successes as Come Dine With Me, Four in a Bed and Coach Trip.

It will star dog behaviourist Leon Towers, 42 and is set to begin on Monday, October 22, at 5.30pm.

Heavily tattooed with tight jeans and flannel shirts, Leon proudly discards the image of dog handlers of the

past: “There’s not a tweed jacket or flat cap in sight.”

What he does have, however, is the skill to understand dogs and modify their behaviour along with an over-the-top charm and the huge personality which audiences first encountered on the digital channel Watch four years ago about a dog hotel he ran.

Embarrassing Pets is described as warm, witty and candid; the show will follow a team of experts – dog behaviourist Leon Towers, animal behaviourist Caroline Clark, and vets Deepti Sharma and Gavin McDonagh – at the Embarrassing Pets practice in Cheshire. Here they encounter a variety of owners desperately seeking help with their characterful pets, and will help to fix their problems, while sharing honest and amusing views on each case that presents itself.

From pungent pugs to diva ducks, angry alpacas to petulant parrots, no case is off limits at the practice that brings to life the extraordinary bond that exists between pets and their owners.

Leon said: “The Dog Hotel was great exposure but being on one of the main terrestial channels is extremely exciting. I am geared up to appear on This Morning and Loose Women. It is fantastic.

“My aunt, Jacqui Towers, still lives in Maryport. I have to get her down here for Loose Women.”

Leon will also be featured in national newspaper in the coming fortnight as the countdown to episode one begins.

While this is an exciting time for the former Maryport resident, he has even more adventures in the pipeline.

He is hoping to turn the world of animal behaviour on its head by proving that there is no such thing as an alpha male in either dog packs or wolves.

He and his brother Lea Morland-Towers are the K9 Brothers. They are currently working with wolves with a view to exploding popular myths about them and making more television soon.

He added: “This is not the place for it, but a lot of people know that I had a very difficult childhood of abuse and neglect. As a reaction to that I fostered children and now
Lea and I are looking into a new project.

“We don’t have the details yet, but my dream is to work with underprivileged or troubled young people.”

In the meantime, he is spending his time trying to stop a dog who barks at the television day and night and he will do it with encouragement, not with control, he promises.