I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! 2023 has kicked off and the line-up, which you can read in full here, includes one very controversial celebrity. Former politician and leader of Ukip, Nigel Farage, is in the Australian jungle, with many viewers not impressed he is on the show.
Farage, who led the pro-Brexit and hard-right political party Ukip and then became leader of the Brexit party from 2019 to 2021, now presents on GB News and is taking part in I'm A Celebrity. It has been widely reported that Farage is being paid a huge £1.5 million to appear on the ITV1 show, which has faced a backlash about his involvement.
Farage said he was entering the jungle after being "demonised" and said he hoped to dispel years of misconception. He said: "The idea that somehow the things I represent - mean-spirited, small-minded, nasty, the ‘little Englander’ - all those accusations that have been flung at me over the years just aren’t true. If we can dispel some of those misconceptions, then that will be a good thing too.”
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Many viewers have threatened to boycott I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! over Farage being in the show. One viewer wrote: "@ITV @imacelebrity you should be utterly ashamed of yourself for bringing in and paying an obscene amount of money to the disgusting and vile human being @Nigel_Farage. Shame on you! #itv #ImACeleb #disgraceful #belowthebelt."
While another added: "Every year, about this time, I’ll crack open the Quality Street and settle in for 3 weeks of the only reality TV show I don’t actively hate: #ImACelebrity. Putting Hancock in last year was a terrible move. But Farage is beyond the pale. I’m not watching it." You can keep up to date with the latest TV and showbiz news by signing up to the newsletter here.
Just minutes into the show, presenters Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly appeared to confront the backlash head-on as they made a savage dig at Nigel. Speaking to viewers at home, Dec said: "There's the man who's got everyone talking. Nigel Farage," before Ant interjected: "Nigel now, not just known for his controversial political career, he's also got his own show on GB News."
"Now, of course, he won't be presenting that show over the next three weeks. So we'd like to take this opportunity to apologise to all of GB News viewers," Dec continued, before Ant then stepped in and quipped directly to the camera: "Sorry Keith, sorry Linda." You can read more on this here. ITV have been contacted for a comment regarding how much they are paying Farage to be on the show.
