A Louth councillor and former mayor whose antics dressed as a sausage rose to fame during the Summer Olympics a decade ago has been reminiscing after she appeared in the final reel of Mock the Week.
The comedy panel show aired its last recorded show on Friday, though two further look back episodes are due to air this week and next.
It was as the credits rolled that Councillor Jill Makinson-Sanders, dressed as a sausage in 2012, floated across the screen in a final highlight reel.
Councillor Makinson-Sanders donned the costume as the Olympic Torch Relay passed through Louth in a bid to promote and protect the Lincolnshire Sausage under EU regulations (but the bid did not materialise).
However many soon picked up on the photo for a more phallic reason, with social media and news outlets noting its similarity instead to male genitalia.
It wasn’t long before the news made Mock the Week with host Dara O’Briain telling audiences how she “ran alongside the torch as a massive penis”.
An audience or crew member then shouted, “It looks like you!”, which the Irish comedian denied.
“It does not look like me! My arms do not start above my chin,” he said.
Panellist Andy Parsons then pointed it out that it was the 100th episode and the first time the host had been heckled by the audience.
More than 10 years on, Councillor Makinson-Sanders can view the story with good nature.
“I am always getting stopped in Louth to say they have seen me again,” she said..
“It’s a running joke. I’ll probably have it on my gravestone at this rate!
“It certainly went global, even to countries where sausages were banned for religious reasons.
“I’m not sure what it did for the Lincolnshire sausage, but I was on television and had so much fun.”
Panel host Dara O’Briain was horrified when a member of the audience suggested the costume looked like him. | Image: Youtube
She said she had been “astounded” at the time by the outfit, hired from the British Sausage Society, but that she was “not a quitter” and carried on regardless.
“You don’t get shoes with the costume, what does a penis…oops sausage, put on her feet? Trotters?”
She said the costume was “so uncomfortable” and difficult to walk in, she was aided off the path by a policeman due to its restrictive nature.
“It did look dubious but it’s been worn countless times at say Lincoln Sausage festival and no-one commented whatsoever,” she said.
The costume even scared her granddaughter, who at the time was 16 months old.
“So much for being a role model. But then she was only 16 months then, so happily won’t remember it.”
The image floated across the screen as the credits rolled. | Image: BBC
Councillor Makinson-Sanders said she was sad to hear the programme was ending, adding: “I had rather hoped they would contact me but sadly no.”
“Never dare me to do anything, it’s fatal,” said the councillor.
“Luckily when I met Prince Charles, now the King, he wasn’t told – phew. It was at Louth Cattle Market too.”
The Mr Sausage costume appeared in various places since, including most recently the Lincolnshire Sausage Festival, where he was also joined by Mrs Sausage and baby Chipolata.
With two further clipshows to go, it is a pretty certain guarantee Councillor Makinson-Sanders will make a further appearance.
The final two episodes will air on Friday, October 28, and Friday, November 4, at 10pm.
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