Spit The Dog fetches £5,000 at auction

Bob Carolgees has sold Spit The Dog at auction, netting more than £5,000.

The Tiswas star put his iconic puppet up for sale to help finance his new venture, a candle shop in Cheshire.

It had been expected to fetch £1,500 when it went under the hammer at Christie’s, but became the subject of a fierce bidding war which pushed the price up to £5,378.

It is not known who the buyer is, but they will not be able to carry on Carolgee’s act - the auction did not include any rights to use the dog.

Carolgees said: “Whoever is spending that amount of money on him must be offering him a good home.

 “Hopefully it means that the owner has carpets, which is good because he likes shagpile.”

Spit, described in the auctioneer’s catalogue as “black and grey synthetic plush, foam rubber head with opening mouth and orange and black plastic eyes and tartan leather collar” was created in a Liverpool record show Carolgees owned in the mid-Seventies.

The puppet is now showing signs of wear and tear, and the entertainer made another in 1996 which he still uses today.

Announcing the sale last month, Mr Carolgees said: “I don’t feel sad about letting him go at all. I don’t see Spit in the same way other people see him.

 “The amount of adults that still refer to him as a real dog is incredible. He was just part of my act.”

Published: 5 Jun 2004