In the Media

HayPigs!® in the media: TV, press and podcasts

Explore HayPigs!® in the media, from BBC One's Dragons' Den and ITV's This Morning to The Sunday Times and filming with Jimmy Doherty at Jimmy's Farm & Wildlife Park. Below you'll find our TV appearances, newspaper and magazine features, podcasts and award highlights, plus interviews with founders Rik and Helen Cridland about running a family business and championing guinea pig welfare and enrichment. For the full story, see Meet the Founders. Journalists, producers and content creators can find our press contact details at the bottom of the page.

Three issues of Guinea Pig Magazine, including the 10th anniversary issue, laid out beside circus-themed bowls — Guinea Pig Magazine, co-owned by Rik and Helen since 2019.

Television

Dec 2018BBC Breakfast: the cover of The Sunday Times Home supplement, featuring Crunchie the guinea pig poking out of the Cavy Cannonball™, is shown and discussed in the newspaper review. See the cover
Dec 2019ITV This Morning: vet Dr Scott Miller presents the Guinea Pig Circus™ range in his round-up of "The Best Christmas Gifts for Your Pet". Watch
Oct 2020Channel 4, Autumn at Jimmy's Farm: the Circus Treat Ball™ Enrichment Toy appears with the meerkats in the official trailer and in the series itself, which aired on 14 October 2020. Watch
Apr 2021BBC One Dragons' Den: Rik and Helen, dressed as P.T. and Charity Barnum, pitch HayPigs!® to the Dragons in Series 18, Episode 5. Watch clip
May 2024BBC One Have I Got News For You: Guinea Pig Magazine is the guest publication of Series 67, Episode 5. Host Martin Clunes declares: "Now that's proper journalism." Watch our reaction
Jun 2025ITV Jimmy & Shivi's Farmhouse Breakfast: Rik and Helen join Jimmy Doherty to talk guinea pig enrichment at the Guinea Pig Village. Read more
Sep 2025GB News: national reporter Will Godley reports live from the London Pet Show press day, where Helen explains why, when it comes to space, bigger is always better, and Ziggy the guinea pig makes an appearance. Watch

Newspapers and magazines

Dec 2018Tatler: the Piggy Weightlifter™ features in the Christmas pet gifts pages.
Dec 2018The Sunday Times Home: the Cavy Cannonball™ appears on the cover of the "Ultimate Gift Guide", complete with a tongue-in-cheek footnote: "*Not a working cannon". See the cover
Mar 2019House & Garden: the Circus Hidey Hut™ features in the "Spring Tails" pages of the April issue.
Dec 2019House of Coco: Rik and Helen are interviewed for the "Boss Couples" series, explaining why they chose a circus theme. Read it
Dec 2023The Sunday Times: the Cavy Cannonball™ appears alongside a £5,710 Gucci dog bed. Watch
Apr 2024HELLO! and the national press: Prince William is photographed using HayPigs!® products at Woodgate Valley Urban Farm. Read it
Jun 2024The Roch Society: Rik features in Part 5 of the "Interesting Journeys Into Petpreneurship" series. Read it
2017 onwardsGuinea Pig Magazine: HayPigs!® features regularly, including Crunchie's cover (2018), the two-part Guinea Pig Village story (2023) and the "A Million Wheeks" cover feature (2024).
Aug 2026The New World: Rik features in Felicity Hannah's article "Welcome to PigTok, home of the guinea pig influencers". Read it

Podcasts

Feb 2019The Apprentice Billionaire with Brad Sugars: Brad Sugars interviews Rik and Helen in the episode "Hay! Find Your Niche". Watch
Jul 2019Popcorning Piggy: in Episode 25, Rik and Helen talk about running a guinea pig enrichment business and tease new products. Listen
Jan 2026Pet Trade People (Pet Product Marketing): Rik is the guest in the episode "How A Guinea Pig Obsession Sparked A Thriving Pet Brand". Listen
Apr 2026Pet Business Disruptors: in Episode 92, "Disrupting the Small Pet Market with HayPigs!", Rik talks about niche retail, selling direct to customers and how his design background shaped the brand. Listen

Online and social

Dec 2017Zoella, Vlogmas: Zoella opens a HayPigs!® treat package for her guinea pig Percy, including the Piggy Weightlifter™, Circus Hidey Hut™ and Cavy Cannonball™: "Oh my god, it's like a circus range, that is so cute!" The video has 1.6 million views. Watch
Aug 2020PewDiePie, "Fall Guys: Live Hedgehog Edition!": the Cavy Cannonball™ and Circus Hidey Hut™ appear, unsponsored. The video has 3.9 million views. Watch
Nov 2023Vodafone Australia, #FindGary: the Cavy Cannonball™ appears in the home of Gary, an Instagram-famous guinea pig, in this Saatchi & Saatchi campaign. Watch
Oct 2026Remy Gumbs: the influencer chooses an Ozzy Cages setup for her piggies, and HayPigs!® helps her build a giant L-shaped enclosure. It now features regularly in her Instagram and TikTok videos. See it on Instagram

For journalists and producers

Rik and Helen are happy to talk about guinea pig welfare and enrichment, small-animal trends, running a family business, Piggy Fest and life after the Dragons' Den. They are experienced and comfortable on TV, radio, podcasts and social media, from BBC One and ITV studios to the regular videos they create for the HayPigs!® channels. Speaking engagements include the Guinea Pig Welfare Forum, London Pet Show Live and the Talks Tent at Piggy Fest.

For interviews, images and press enquiries, email rik@haypigs.com.

Meet the founders

HayPigs!® appear on BBC Dragons' Den

Thursday 29th April 2021, BBC One

Co-founders, Rik & Helen Cridland, appear on series 18, episode 5 of Dragons’ Den pitching HayPigs!® to Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Touker Suleyman, Tej Lalvani and Sara Davies. Despite their best efforts, the sartorially splendid entrepreneurs leave the Den without an investment offer, but get a memorable sendoff from Deborah Meaden; “You’ll make a lot of guinea pigs happy and those are not words I ever thought I would say!”

Dragon's Den References