Stacey Solomon blasted over rabbit welfare in Sort Your Life Out

Stacey Solomon's tidying up show Sort Your Life Out has been criticised by animal lovers for moving a family's pet rabbits into a "cramped outdoor hutch".

The Loose Women star and home organisation expert is currently hosting season two of Sort Your Life Out on BBC One which has been a hit with viewers who love her kind and gentle approach.

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However, Solomon came in for some rare criticism in Wednesday's episode over accusations of "cruelty" when her team moved some rabbits from an indoor run to an outdoor hutch.

She and her team of three other declutterers – Dilly Carter, Robert Bent and Iwan Carrington – were shown helping out a family of four who had become overwhelmed by clutter and unfinished DIY jobs.

One of the first things Solomon noticed on looking around their house was a large rabbit pen in the conservatory, as she petted the rabbits and commented on how cute they were.

Noting that she thought Carter looked like she wanted to "move them outside", Solomon's prediction came true when the big reveal was shown to the family after they had finished tidying the house.

But animal-loving viewers were outraged to see that the rabbits had been given a new home in a small outdoor hutch to free up space indoors.

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Accusing Solomon of not understanding the rabbits' needs, one viewer tweeted: "Love love @StaceySolomon but so disappointed that Sort Your Life Out has shown rabbits being moved from a nice spacious indoor run to a cramped outdoor hutch, hutches are absolutely not enough."

Someone else agreed: "Absolutely appalling from @StaceySolomon and @bbcthree. Latest episode of Sort your life out is disgraceful. Those poor rabbits. A hutch is never enough. Next time follow @RabbitRWAF guidelines for appropriate size for rabbit accommodation. This falls so short. It’s animal abuse!"

Another viewer added: "Saddened to find that @StaceySolomon did no research into rabbit welfare before moving some happy house bunnies out into a tiny hutch in the garden. Hutches are NOT SUITABLE HOMES."

One viewer pointed out that the family had made the right choice with their original pen, tweeting: "#BBC Sort Your Life Out with rabbits being moved from spacious indoor living (family choose that) to an outdoor prison! Totally unacceptable and traumatic. What example is this programme showing on how to treat family pets? Shame on @StaceySolomon and the shows production team."

Someone else added: "@BBC what you let the people do on sort your life out to the rabbits is horrendous. They went from a lovely inside spacious pen into a hideous 1940's hutch- where people kept rabbits for killing. Shame on you."