The vegan athlete cited a BBC article that states “100 million animals per month [are] killed in the UK.”

Lewis Hamilton is urging his followers to ditch meat.

The F1 champ, who regularly uses his platform to promote animal rights causes shared a year-old BBC article – Confessions of a slaughterhouse worker – on his Instagram story.

He wrote: “100 million animals per month [are] killed in the UK.

“Those of you that eat meat, please take a moment to think.

“Please stop eating meat, we have to end this horrific atrocity.”

Confessions of a slaughterhouse worker

The article he shared is about an anonymous abattoir worker in the UK.

The article talks about the worker’s experiences in the slaughterhouse, which although didn’t result in physical injuries, had a lasting impact on her mind.

She confessed that “my mind would taunt me with nightmares, replaying some of the horrors I’d witnessed throughout the day.”

Although slaughterhouse workers are said to master ‘disassociation’ and learn ‘to become numb to death and to suffering’, their emotions tend to be bottled up and nobody talks about their feelings because of an overwhelming sense that you aren’t allowed to show weakness.

The article not only highlights the gory plight of animals, it also spotlights the tremendous pressure that workers undergo.

According to reports, abattoir work is an incredibly isolating job and has been linked to multiple mental health problems.

It was only after the former slaughterhouse worker saved a colleague from committing suicide, did she realise the need to seek help.

“I felt like the horrific things I was seeing had clouded my thinking, and I was in a full-blown state of depression,” the worker revealed.

“It felt like a big step, but I needed to get out of there.”

Noting the scarring and lasting effects of working at the abattoir, she confessed: “I (still) recall my days at the slaughterhouse. I think about my former colleagues working relentlessly, as though they were treading water in a vast ocean, with dry land completely out of sight. I remember my colleagues who didn’t survive.

“And at night, when I close my eyes and try to sleep, I still sometimes see hundreds of pairs of eyeballs staring back at me.”

 She now works with mental health charities that encourage people to open up about their feelings and seek professional help.

 Animal advocate Hamilton

This isn’t the first time Hamilton has raised awareness about the atrocities of the slaughterhouses.

In 2019, the vegan athlete posted graphic footage of a cow being repeatedly hit in the head with an axe.

The video also showed the animal being stabbed as part of barbaric leather industry practices.

Despite facing criticism for posting disturbing content on his Instagram,  he defended his stance saying he ‘can’t waste’ his platform.

He wrote: “Guys, I’m sorry if the last post has ruined your day, but you/we need to see this. 

“If I don’t post this, who’s going to? Who’s going to care for these animals? I’m sorry but I have this platform and I can’t waste it.”

• Read: Ricky Gervais and Zac Efron to star in Save Ralph – a film to end animal testing

Share this story: Lewis Hamilton urges 21.8 million Instagram followers to ‘please stop eating meat’.

Mohsina Dodhiya

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