The Yorkshire Vet: A reminiscing over how TV stardom made Julian a better vet

To celebrate this milestone, we are having a party in Thirsk (the home of Herriot etc etc) to watch the episode live, along with some “behind the scenes” footage, amusing out-takes (of which there will be many) and interviews with various protagonists about how we have enjoyed the last nine (for some of us) or four years (for others). I did my interview last week and, at times, it was pretty emotional.

A good friend, who has helped steer me through the trials and tribulations of being on TV, asked the questions.

She started with, “How did it come about at the beginning?” This is a question I have been asked many times over the years, so it was easy to answer. Next, “What was your favourite bit?” This one was impossible to answer.

“How has this affected your life?” I paused for thought. This was a big question, with lots of answers. In some ways, not so much- the poorly animals still need fixing and worried owners still need to be comforted. Little ‘Amore’ the Bichon Frise, who I have been treating for many years, battling some serious illnesses, did not give two hoots that I would be on telly on Tuesday night and neither did her owners, when Anne and I called to see her on Sunday evening. That aspect of my life is exactly the same. The businesses need to run, staff need to be paid, anal glands need to be emptied; veterinary work continues. But undoubtedly my involvement in the show has been life changing. Once, my career was pretty predictable and, dare I say, rather routine. Now, it most certainly is not; every day is different and new and exciting opportunities appear out of nowhere. I’ve written nine books, which would never have happened without my TV involvement, nor would the column you are reading just now. All these things are a brilliant bonus.

Eventually, in answer to Olivia’s question, I said, “It’s made me a better vet.” I tried to explain. When the main focus of your job is to diagnose the disease, fix the broken bit or administer the correct dose of the right drug, it is very easy to feel satisfied if you get these bits right. But, over the last nine years, I’ve watched as a Producer-Director (PD) points a camera at an owner and, with a sympathetic smile, asks “how do you feel? Or what does ‘xxx’ mean to you?” In the normal course of our day, we would rarely get such an insight. Way back in series one, a PD asked a farmer how he felt when I’d told him the disappointing results of a fertility test I had just carried out on his best new bull. I watched the interview from the other side of the cattle crush, just close enough to see the tear forming in the corner of his eye. Since then, I’ve become a more empathetic as a vet, which is no bad thing.