Proud parent Lisa with Baby Jesus (Picture: Instagram/BabyJesusFox)

If you’ve been grocery shopping in Merseyside recently and thought you saw a woman pushing around a stuffed fox, then your eyes haven’t been deceiving you – it was probably Lisa Foxcroft and her (dead) baby fox, Baby Jesus.

She takes Baby Jesus everywhere with her, whether it’s out to the shops to get almond milk, for a ride on the bus, or to the club to get crunk.

Baby Jesus found a forever (and ever) home with Lisa when he was sadly hit as an infant. Instead of him rotting at the side of the road, he was immortalised as taxidermy, and given to Lisa as a gift one Christmas.



‘I have had Baby Jesus for two years now, I signed the final adoption papers on New Year’s Eve 2015,’ Lisa tells Metro.co.uk.


‘He was a Christmas miracle, a magical gift from a friend, the gift that keeps on giving. I took naturally to being his mum because he is just a little baby, and I look after him and care for him as if he is my own.’

So why is he called Baby Jesus?

‘There was no negativity or ridicule involved in the choice,’ explains Lisa. ‘I am Catholic and would not disrespect any religious beliefs, it’s simply because he was a Christmas baby and I wanted to celebrate that.’

‘That was our first shopping trip trying to eat a vegan diet so I needed to check if he liked everything I was choosing,’ Lisa explains when asked about taking Baby Jesus to Asda.

‘I do take him absolutely everywhere and I do get some strange looks – people often ask me what he is and why I have him, but once I explain his history and what he’s about, people are really positive.

‘They often ask to hold him and take selfies – everyone has been really nice. The ticket inspectors on the train all know him and ask after him. They walk past while I am putting his pram or buggy together and just roll their eyes.’

Have Lisa and Baby Jesus received any backlash at all from people who don’t agree with taxidermy?

‘I’ve had more backlash for his name than I have had for the fact I am carrying a taxidermy baby fox around with me,’ Lisa admits.

‘It’s hard not to like him as he’s so super cute and very handsome, and I do take time to explain to people that all my animals are ethically sourced.

‘Baby Jesus was roadkill and unfortunately died accidentally, but he’s been preserved instead of decomposing on the side of the road.

‘I see taxidermy as art, preserving a beautiful animal, and I would never promote cruelty to animals in any way. At first people often just see “a dead animal” but it is more than that, it’s an art form which has developed since the ancient Egyptians. People are a lot more conscious now about sourcing taxidermy animals ethically.

‘Plus, I always take time to dress him nicely – he has an outfit for every occasion and its difficult to dislike that, he always looks so lovely.’

Baby Jesus’ absolute favourite thing to do is dress up as famous people – particularly Gemma Collins. His resemblance to her is uncanny.



‘I love all celebrities and all for very different reasons,’ Baby Jesus tell Metro.co.uk.

‘I really admire Princess Diana, The Beatles and Beyoncé, and love to emulate them. Mr Blobby and Big Bird are my more fun choices and then we have people like Gemma Collins who I love in a different way.

‘Her outfits are always eccentric and I find her really comical, falling down a hole in the stage at Radio 1’s Teen Awards and wearing flamboyant outfits without a care in the world.

‘I think we all have a bit of Gemma Collins in us somewhere. We try to keep it under wraps while she just lets it out all over the place.’

Baby Jesus loves replicating Gemma Collins’ quirky attire…

…right down to the very last detail…

…and he does it pretty well

So, what would Baby Jesus’ ideal day with Gemma Collins be?

‘I would be dressed in identical clothes as her – hair and everything – and she would carry me round cradling me like her little tiny identical baby,’ muses Baby Jesus.

‘We would go to the petting zoo, feed some animals, then watch Disney films all night. Then [TV chef] Ainsley Harriot would cook us a nice hot spicy dinner while singing along to the films.

‘She would tuck into my tiny little bed and kiss me goodnight, and my mum would pick me up in the morning.’

Baby Jesus is yet to meet Gemma Collins, but hopefully one day this little fox’s dreams may come true.

Here’s Baby Jesus dressed up as Beyoncé…

…Princess Diana…

…Mr Blobby…

…Audrey Hepburn…

…and Kim Woodburn.

This Christmas, Lisa’s taxidermy family expanded when she adopted a badger called Ainsley – named after Ainsley Harriot, one of her favourite celebrities.


So how did (badger) Ainsley find his way into Lisa’s life?

‘I went on a first date to a mouse taxidermy class in the Baltic Social [in Liverpool] – we both taxidermied our own mice and made them tiny little costumes,’ she reveals.

‘Mine was playing a piano in a top hat and Michael’s – my now boyfriend’s – was riding a penny farthing bicycle with a pair of blue wings.

‘Last Christmas he presented me with Ainsley, so its becoming a tradition – I’m excited for next Christmas!

‘It’s my ambition this year to meet Ainsley Harriot in real life, and take along Baby Jesus and Ainsley the badger.’

It’s not uncommon for sibling rivalry to occur when a second child appears. But Baby Jesus has taken Ainsley’s arrival in his stride, and he’s glad for his company.

‘Life with Ainsley is great, he’s cool, we get on really well,’ Baby Jesus reveals.

‘Everyone assumes that I will get jealous of new additions to the family but I don’t.

‘I am safe in the knowledge no one will ever be cuter, cooler or more handsome than me and I am always my mum’s number one, so for me the more the merrier.

‘It’s nice to have someone to go out with and to do photoshoots with.’

Please listen to this with the sound on as a gift to yourself and those around you

Despite Baby Jesus’ following growing by the day, he’s in no hurry to become an ‘influencer’.

‘I have absolutely no plans to become an influencer to get free stuff,’ he says in disgust when we ask him.


‘I cringe when I read that word on anyone’s profile. Instagram has created a generation of narcissistic, egotistical people who will sell their souls for free products and likes.

‘People with bright white veneers who promote whitening toothpaste for example – how can it whiten them when they aren’t even real teeth? It’s not for me.

‘If anything, I’d like to influence people and show that it’s okay to not be like everyone else, to not have to post pictures in bikinis and pouting to be social acceptable. It’s okay to be a little different – I actually think it’s much better.’

Damn right, Baby Jesus, damn right.

Follow Baby Jesus, Ainsley and Lisa’s Instagram adventures here.(We highly recommend you watch the Instagram stories.)

Metro.co.uk has contacted Gemma Collins’ and Ainsley Harriot’s reps for comment i.e. to see if they want to meet Baby Jesus and co. We’ll update this story if we hear back.

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