Father, 31, who’s spent lockdown dresses as a giant rabbit while on furlough tells This Morning his bizarre hobby is ‘not really’ a fetish
- Adrian James, 31, from Pembrokeshire, was furloughed from his job as mechanic
- He spent lockdown dressed as rabbit and splurged over £12,000 on his hobby
- Uses alter-ego Keel when he is a bunny and attends ‘furries’ events
- Appeared on This Morning and told how his hobby is ‘not really’ a fetish
A father-of-three who was furloughed from his mechanic job and has spent lockdown dressed as a rabbit has claimed his bizarre hobby is ‘not really’ a fetish.
Adrian James, 31, from Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, appeared on This Morning today and told how he has spent thousands of pounds on costumes, accessories and carrots.
But when presenter Holly Willoughby questioned whether the past-time is a fetish, Adrian, who uses the alter-ego Keel when he is a bunny, replied: ‘No not really. Obviously I’m wearing this suit now and it’s extremely hot in here. I’m not interested in the whole fetish thing really – it’s far too hot!
Picking up on the ambiguous ‘not really’ comment, Phillip Schofield then asked whether on a cooler day, it may be a different story.
‘No I don’t think so,’ Adrian added. ‘For me, it’s about making the suits and wearing them and going to conventions and stuff. It’s not for me that stuff.’
Adrian James, 31, from Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, appeared on This Morning today dressed as a rabbit (pictured)
Adrian (pictured) told how his love of rabbits started after his dad bought him a stuffed bunny toy when he was younger
Holly went on to question where Adrian’s love of rabbits came from in the first place.
‘When I was younger my dad bought me a very small little stuffed bunny and I don’t know, it just kind of grew from there,’ explained the 31-year-old. ‘I started collecting more and more of them.’
‘I found a group of like-minded people who obviously like the suits and stuff and I started getting into that. Before I knew it I was going to meets and conventions. I made local friends – they’re lovely, so yeah it just kind of grew from there.’
An intrigued Phillip proceeded to ask whether Adrian, who says rabbits are his spirit animal, is happy to wander down the street and revel in the reactions he receives.
Adrian uses the alter-ego Keel when he is a bunny. Pictured, with presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield
Adrian said that he puts the suit on and tries to put a smile on people’s faces when he walks down the street. Pictured, in his costume
‘Yeah its great,’ he said. ‘You do get quite a few different reactions and mostly it’s quite positive. There’s loads of smiles and stuff and you see kids and they give you a high five and chase after you and stuff and bring a lot if joy to people really.
‘I don’t ask anything for it, I just put a suit on and try and put a smile on people’s faces if I can.’
And when a rather amusing noise could be heard in the background that sounded like somebody passing wind, the presenters couldn’t contain their laughter.
‘Is that a vibration from a message coming through on your phone?’ Holly asked, to which Phil quipped: ‘That’s lettuce for you!’
Adrian swapped his overalls for rabbit costumes after splurging more than £12,000 on his bizarre hobby.
Adrian James, who was furloughed from his mechanic job, has relished the latest lockdown as it has given him more time to live his double life as a rabbit
Although his go-to conventions events are on hold because of lockdown, the restrictions have given Adrian more time to build a ‘furry creation station’, which contains his seven rabbit suits, and gives him space to meet other ‘furries’ online.
‘The lockdowns have been great for my hobby because it has given me much more time to be Keel and make some new furry outfits.
‘I like spending time as Keel and being at home enabled me to be him a lot more that usual.
The father-of-three, from Pembrokeshire, has swapped his overalls for rabbit costumes after splurging more than £12,000 on his bizarre hobby
The 31-year-old uses the alter-ego Keel when he’s a bunny and has attended large events where other ‘furries’ meet up and share their passion to become animals
‘I converted my attic into a sort of studio where I can create the outfits, and tend to find that I’m enjoying myself the most when sewing together my latest designs.’
Adrian, a father, told how people are into ‘furries’ for different reasons.
‘For me it’s the community feel within it and the artistry in the outfits,’ he explained. ‘I love seeing new outfits when they’re made.
‘My new suit, who I called Chiral, was originally supposed to be sold on. But I liked him so much I decided to keep him for myself.
‘It can take months to finish a suit so being able to stay at home for such a long time gave me plenty of it to start making new furry outfits.
Adrian has been living his double life as Keel the rabbit for over a decade and has now made seven new suits during lockdown
Lockdown has halted ‘furries’ events but has given Adrian more time to create a furry creation station, which contains his seven rabbit suits, and gives him space to meet other ‘furries’ online
‘It was a continuous process so I would go into my little space at home and work on him, it’s really intense work that takes a lot of patience.
‘I understand that it’s an unuusal hobby but we’re not hurting anyone, so I don’t see why it’s seen as strange. Some people like football and rugby but I like rabbits and the fury community is full of great people.
‘It was difficult when the lockdowns happened because as a result fury meets stopped and I didn’t have many people too enjoy my time as Keel.
‘I started making suits as something to do while I couldn’t meet up with anyone, and I realised I was quite good at it, so I kept going.
Adrian said he has not let people who judge him put him off his quirky interest but wishes people would understand the community more
He said he understands that it is a strange hobby but that the ‘furries’ community is not hurting anyone
‘My new suit is great, it hooks up to an app on my phone and I can change all the lighting while I’m in the suit. The next thing I want to make is a voice and eyes that open and close.
‘For me its all about expression, the community are a very active bunch and rabbits are just the animal that I attached myself too.
‘I have met some of my closest friends through the fury community so I’m looking forward to being able to meet them all again in the future.’
Adrian has been living his double life as Keel the rabbit for over a decade and has now made seven new suits during lockdown of different rabbit-themed characters he likes to be.
Adrian (right) began his quirky hobby as a child and has since found the pastime has an extensive community
Adrian said that there are some non-family-friendly sub communities, such as those with fetishes, but that he does not judge them
He said: ‘I had a rabbit teddy when I was a kid and I think that’s why they are my spirit animal. Most furries pick the animals they feel most like.’
Adrian said he has not let people who judge him put him off his quirky interest but wishes people would understand the community more.
Adrian said: ‘There are some not very family-friendly sub communities in my community, like the fetish guys who have a sexual interest in furries, but I do not judge them for that.
‘But that’s not me, for me it’s all about the creative side of the suits and the way it lights up faces when I walk past.
Adrian finally returned to his day job and had to pack his suit away for the day but always pops it back on when he gets chance at home
‘Of course I get teenagers being cheeky, but mostly its kids loving the outfit and smiling when they walk past and parents asking how I made the outfit.
‘All in all it’s a great community to be a part of, but like anything there are bad eggs.’
Adrian finally returned to his day job and had to pack his suit away for the day but always pops it back on when he gets chance at home.
Adrian said: ‘I work hard and support my family so I don’t ever feel bad for spending time as Keel, it’s a harmless interest and one I aim to keep up.’
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