TV PRESENTER Richard Madeley ate a squirrel burger live on air during Good Morning Britain.

He tucked in during a debate on the idea of serving the patties made with grey squirrels at the Welsh Game Fair at the Faenol Estate in Bangor on September 9 and 10.

They will be served by celebrity farmer and influencer, Gareth Wyn Jones, in the pop up restaurant, Cwtch Kitchen, at the event that’s expected to attract 20,000 countryside lovers.

They featured the story after Gareth suffered a huge online backlash over the idea.

Richard Madeley’s verdict was “it tastes not unlike a chicken burger, actually.”

He was co-hosting the show with Kate Garraway, who was wary of trying the burger because of her fondness for Beatrix Potter’s character, Squirrel Nutkin.

The burger was made up of 80 per cent squirrel and 20 per cent pork with three squirrels needed per burger, with the squirrels being supplied by Willo Game in Norbury in Shropshire.

The tasting was part of the debate between Gareth, a star of the television series, The Family Farm who farms at Ty’n Llwyfan in the foothills of the Carneddau Range above Llanfairfechan, in Conwy, and Eliza Allen, from the animal rights organisation, PETA.

Gareth said: “It’s a grey squirrel, it shouldn’t be in this country and it’s causing our red squirrels to be taken out of the equation.

“Every single one of these grey squirrels we’re eating is going to give room to the red squirrel.

“We’ve got a big game fair coming to North Wales and my mate James (event organiser James Gower) said ‘come up with an idea’ to promote it.

“So by promoting shooting and taking grey squirrels out of the equation we’re going to help the reds but as well we’re going to have a tasty little meal.

“We’re going to have a burger that’s very healthy and it’s going to be very nutritious.

“There’s three squirrels in that (the burger) so it’s 80 per cent squirrel and 20 per cent pork because we need the fat because it’s a very lean meat.”

Eliza Allen from the animal rights organisation, PETA, said: “Most of us love seeing squirrels in trees at the park not on a plate.

“What Gareth is talking about involves quite literally blasting the brains out of these animals or trapping them and bludgeoning them to death.

“No matter how you slice it or dice it, that’s cruel. It’s totally unnecessary. We don’t need to kill animals in order to eat them.

“Animals are not burgers or sausages. They’re living beings that deserve to live.”

When she suggested that grey squirrels should not be culled and that vaccination or oral contraception should be used instead, Gareth said: “That is the biggest joke I’ve ever heard.

“We’ve got to protect our red squirrels. They’re beautiful. They’re in danger. Come to Anglesey, come to see them.

“I’ve got a million people following me on my social media, so there is people going to against it. But don’t mislead people into saying that we’re just blasting them out of the trees. They’re being caught as well in traps.

“You can call them anything you want but we have to take them out of that equation. They carry the pox, the greys, that are killing the reds.

“These grey squirrels are killing lots of little song birds, they are chewing saplings in forestry.”

James Gower, chief executive of Stable Events which organises the Welsh Game Fair, said they’re aiming to double last year’s attendance figures and get 20,000 people through the gates this time.

He said: “Our aim is to celebrate everything that is best about the countryside and rural pursuits, including the wider benefits of conservation and field sports.

“We’ll have gundogs, clay shooting, archery, fishing, food and falconry - not to mention the amazing shopping at the wide range of stalls.

“Over the two days we have a jam-packed itinerary of displays, demonstrations,  have-a-go attractions and exhibitors.”