IAN HYLAND on last night’s telly

Pooch Perfect, BBC1 ★★★★

As reported in yesterday’s Daily Mirror, this new doggy makeover show has been criticised for allowing a puppy to have its ears dyed.

I understand those concerns, but I feel an even bigger misdemeanour has been committed. Namely, how the hell was this programme not called The Great British Bark rk Off?

It bears many of the hallmarks of Bake Off. A sparky double act hosts it. The setting is spectacular yet homely.

The music is suitably jaunty. The contestants are lively and interesting. And the judges are charismatic and knowledgeable. Sadly the one thing it does not share with Bake Off could end up being its downfall – it just doesn’t offer the same variety.

No matter how cute the dogs are, nor how entertaining Sheridan Smith and her canine co-host Stan Stanley are, we are basically wat watching pups having a haircut for an hour. If the groomers are not allowed to go to town on the dyes, the accessories and th the costumes there is o only so much they ca can do to create a stylish and eye-catching look. I mean, once you’ve seen one pooch trimmed to look like a lion...

That said, I thoroughly enjoyed it – despite having zero interest in dogs and even less interest in grooming techniques, canine or human.

I also appreciated the fact that Sheridan didn’t even attempt to make “Shih Tzu” sound any less rude than it does.

With such a refreshingly no-nonsense approach to this telly presenting lark, she could go far.

How was this programme not called The Great British Bark Off?