1 October 2026
Deborah Meaden, Joanna Lumley and Chris Packham call for Amazon UK to ban cruel donkey-skin products
Annette Badland, Rory Bremner, Anthea Turner, Jodie Prenger, Jenny Seagrove and Dr Scott Miller join public demand for retail giant to stop selling ejiao and fuelling illegal donkey skin trade.
TV presenter Chris Packham, Dragon’s Den entrepreneur Deborah Meaden, comedian Rory Bremner and actors Joanna Lumley, Annette Badland, Jodie Prenger and Jenny Seagrove are among high-profile supporters backing a 60,000-strong petition of UK people calling on Amazon UK to remove, and stop future sales, of products containing ejiao, a gelatine made from boiling donkey skins, from its marketplace.
The celebrities, broadcasters, veterinary professionals, academics and animal welfare advocates have signed an open letter to John Boumphrey, Amazon’s UK and Ireland Country Manager, supporting international working animal charity Brooke’s petition and its campaign to end the donkey skin trade.
Brooke has written to Amazon UK on multiple occasions, presenting evidence of the harrowing global trade and requesting a meeting to demonstrate their concerns. Amazon has not replied.
“This trade, which most people are shocked to learn even exists, causes immense suffering for both animals and people. Products sold in the UK cause donkeys to be stolen in the night and bludgeoned to death for their skins right outside their home. Others are forced to endure a gruelling journey over miles designed to exhaust them so they can be brutally struck down in the most horrifying ways for a simple ingredient or a facial serum.”
Six million donkeys killed for collagen
More than six million donkeys are killed for their skins each year to meet global demand for ejiao, an ingredient used in supplements, foods, drinks, traditional medicines and cosmetics. The charity’s research found that, although Amazon UK does not sell the products directly, listings remain available from third-party sellers on its marketplace.
Demand for ejiao is currently driven by China, primarily for traditional medicines and collagen-wellness products with unproven benefits. As African donkey populations are depleted by the trade, industry is expanding to source donkeys from countries like Pakistan.
In their letter, the high-profile signatories urge Amazon UK to acknowledge Brooke and the UK public’s concerns, remove existing ejiao listings and introduce a clear policy prohibiting future sales of products made from or containing ejiao, stating:
“Amazon has the scale and influence to help stop a trade linked to immense animal suffering and devastating harm to communities. If one of the world’s most recognisable retailers acts, it will send a clear message that cruelty has no place in modern commerce.”
Women, children and communities devastated
Donkeys are essential to millions of people globally, helping families transport water and goods, farm, travel to markets and secure a child’s education. Women often fare the worst when a donkey is stolen, as they then often take over their role in water collection and livestock work.
Brooke presented the petition at Amazon UK Headquarters on 22 September 2026.
“Brooke’s evidence shows the demand fuels illegal criminal activity, with animals trafficked across borders, transported for long periods and killed in illicit slaughterhouses. When a donkey is stolen, entire families lose their income and lifeline overnight. This must change, and as one of the largest consumer platforms, with immense influence, Amazon can take a meaningful stand and ensure its platforms aren’t accelerating this cruelty.”
The open letter also raises questions about the availability of products made from animal-derived gelatine to UK consumers and calls for scrutiny of the rules governing products of animal origin imported into Great Britain.
'I've seen first hand the devastating impact the donkey skin trade has on not only donkeys, but on communities and I was shocked to learn ejiao products are easily available right here in the UK.”