A BADGER cub rescued from a dog's jaws on Exmoor has been named Jonathan Ross after the chat show host sparked controversy at the centre which saved it.

The bruising encounter with a Jack Russell left young Jonathan fighting for his life, suffering tooth puncture marks to his head and back.

But now, safely in the hands of staff at Secret World Wildlife Rescue at East Huntspill, the badger is thriving on a strict diet of puppy milk.

Jonathan was named after the TV star after a joke on his BBC One chat show led to a police investigation at the East Huntspill centre.

The star displayed a photo to a live studio audience of an adorable dormouse nestled in a rose during hibernation.

He then jokingly claimed the cute critter, being cared for at the centre, had been woken for the photo shoot – leading to animal activists complaining to cops.

Jamie Baker, a fundraiser at Secret World, said they received a handful of complaints from the public and were visited by a local bobby, but left happy after realising it was a tall story.

Staff decided to name the mischievous badger after him after a public apology by Ross on his show the following week.

Jamie said: “Jonathan Ross gave us an apology and featured another of our pictures, so we decided to name it after him. He is quite mischievous so it seemed fitting!” Founder Pauline Kidner added: “We thought it was an appropriate name for the little cub as badgers seem to have a habit of getting themselves into trouble!”

You can see Jonathan the badger via webcam by clicking on the Related Linkm right.

The charity takes in around 50 cubs a year and current residents include an otter cub and a fox cub.