A RADIO DJ who discovered seven caterpillars lurking in his Tesco broccoli has shared hilarious videos documenting their growth after he decided to keep them as pets.
Sam Darlaston, who presents KISS FM’s late show, revealed how he discovered two stowaway bugs in his veg on 11 June as he was preparing dinner.
The 27-year-old went on to purchase another head of broccoli a few days later, but found a further five caterpillars inside.
The presenter, from Islington, London, decided to keep the creepy crawlies however, raising them until their transformation into butterflies.
Sam shared video of himself yesterday releasing a small white butterfly named Janine.
Prior to this, Sam had been meticulously documenting the insects’ transformation, sharing updates of his new pets’ progress.
He began the thread two weeks ago, saying: “Hey @Tesco I was about to cook my favourite vegetable of all time (broccoli) and after unwrapping it, to my surprise, found caterpillars inside!”
“They’re really nice and we’ve ended up keeping one as a pet and naming him, but just as a heads up, some of your broc has c-pillars.”
A photo shows the broccoli with a green caterpillar nestled inside.
He then followed this with a picture of “Cedric the caterpillar” a few days later, fully metamorphosed into a butterfly.
Today Sam announced that only one of the seven caterpillars, named Croc, remained.
The posts, which have been liked more than 23,000 times, have been delighting social media users.
@qtpie_danik wrote: “The best thread I’ve ever read.”
@Jeanne7759 commented: “Lovely story! At least you can be sure your broc was grown in a natural environment.”
And @Gailee99 wrote: “I’m just wondering how many caterpillars I’ve potentially eaten with my broccoli.”
Speaking today Sam said: “My first reaction was shock, but then I just saw this little guy moving about – so I checked up on google to make sure this species was suitable for the UK.
“They are, they’re cabbage whites and then I knew I had to keep him.”
“There’s seven caterpillars – Broc, Olly, Janine, Croc, Carlos, Cedric and Slim Eric.”
“The process of raising them has definitely been a highlight of lockdown – I’ve always loved animals and wildlife, and hope to one day go into wildlife presenting!
“Sir David Attenborough is my hero.”
“I have heard from Tesco, they’ve refunded me £1.10 for the broccolis, and I’m actually grateful to them for the free pets.
“It’s like being a kid getting a free toy in your cereal!”
