The Human Zoo, a radio program on Talksport, was presented by Tommy Boyd, with his engineer Asher Gould acting as co-presenter. It was broadcast from May 2000 until Boyd's dismissal in March 2002, based on a 1969 book by Desmond Morris.
The program adopted a 'phone-in' format where callers were not pre-screened and could freely discuss topics within broadcasting regulations.
To ensure compliance, a dump button was utilized, a common method in radio to prevent the broadcast of offensive or illegal content. The station's output was delayed slightly, enabling the station to silence any unwanted remarks from callers before they aired. The Human Zoo welcomed a diverse range of callers, some of whom contributed short performances, played prepared audio pieces, or simply shared catchphrases.
Boyd was dismissed from talkSPORT in March 2002 after failing to use the profanity delay to "dump" a caller's remarks that the British Royal Family should be shot.[1] [2]