I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! fans have threatened to boycott the new ITV series over their ‘tone-deaf’ decision to let Nigel Farage enter the jungle.
The former UKIP and Brexit party leader, 59, is taking part in this year’s series, set to launch on Sunday night, and is believed to be earning a bumper £1.5million for his appearance.
The signing of the GB News star has proved controversial as Nigel is a famously divisive figure, who is known for his right-wing views on immigration and gender pay gaps.
As expected, fans are less than happy with Farage taking part, with nearly 10,000 people using the hashtag ‘Boycott I’m A Celeb’ in the past 24 hours.
Taking to X, social media users plead their case as to why they were taking action against the show.
Controversial signing: The former UKIP and Brexit party leader, 59, is taking part in this year’s series and is believed to be earning a bumper £1.5million for his appearance
Fans are less than happy with Farage taking part, with nearly 10,000 people using the hashtag ‘Boycott I’m A Celeb’ in the past 24 hours
One user wrote: ‘ITV notoriously choose the most heinous politicians. They secure these guests by promising to show ‘another side’ to them.
‘There are no other sides to sc**bags like Matt Hancock & Nigel Farage & attempts to rehabilitate them for the nation is propaganda. #BoycottImACeleb’.
‘Hancock was bad enough but I can’t even look at Farage. Do itv realise how many viewers they will lose with this decision? #BoycottImACeleb’, a second wrote.
A third user added: @ITV @antanddec @DecsMcpartlin I boycotted @imacelebrity when you put @MattHancock on your show. Now the odious @Nigel_Farage.
‘I’m livid that you give these people a voice, a platform and way to be seen. I can’t, I’m livid spitting feathers. #BoycottITV #Boycottimaceleb’.
A fourth expressed: ‘I wrote to @itv to complain about Farage going on #BoycottImACeleb . Have received a really pathetic, standard response from their team.
‘Please continue to email them. They need to understand quite how many people are totally p*ssed off with them.’
ITV has been contacted for comment.
It comes after Farage shared a throwback clip of I’m A Celebrity hosts Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly giving their opinion on the possibility of the politician joining the lineup.
Having their say: Nigel Farage has shared a throwback clip of I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! hosts Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly giving their opinion on the possibility of the politician joining the lineup
There has been much criticism lobbied at ITV for choosing to cast him and several petitions have been launched to get him removed, with others boycotting the show in protest.
I’m A Celeb’s hosts Ant and Dec have not commented on the lineup so far, but Nigel took to his Twitter on Tuesday to share an unearthed video of the duo discussing him being on the show.
Last year, the Geordies often joined livestreams with fans after the shows aired, to chat about the events of the latest episode and answer questions from viewers.
The clip Nigel shared saw one person suggest the politician enters the jungle one year, with And and Dec seeming to give their approval.
The video shows Dec saying: ‘Dan says Nigel Farage,’ with Ant responding: “‘Dan that is a very very good idea. Very good idea.’
Dec chimes in to add: ‘I’d like to see that.’
Alongside the clip, Nigel wrote: ‘Give the people what they want!’ with a pair of eyes emoji.
It comes after Nigel insisted he’s ready for whatever the jungle throws at him when he enters camp this week.
Addressing GB News viewers in a pre-recorded video on Monday, he said: ‘So the speculation is over, I am going into the jungle, but it’s okay because I am used to dealing with snakes and other horrible reptiles both in Brussels and here in Westminster – I’m sure I’ll be able to survive.’
He also revealed he was preparing for a life of enforced abstinence in the jungle by temporarily giving up booze and caffeine, five days before his flight to Australia.
Throwback: Ant and Dec have not commented on the lineup so far, but Nigel took to his Twitter on Tuesday to share an unearthed video of the duo discussing him being on the show
Stamp of approval: The clip Nigel shared saw one person suggest the politician enters the jungle one year, with And and Dec seeming to give their approval
Side eye: Alongside the clip, Nigel wrote: ‘Give the people what they want!’ with a pair of eyes emoji
Nigel said: ‘No there isn’t any booze in there, which is quite a serious situation in my view. Equally, and just as important funnily enough is tea and coffee.
‘So as a bit of training for going into the jungle I haven’t had an alcoholic drink, a cup of tea or coffee now for five days.’
Nigel claimed show producers first approached him seven years ago, shortly after Britain voted to leave the European Union following a referendum he vociferously supported.
‘They’ve asked me every year since 2016 to go in the jungle I always thought it’s not the right time for me to do it,’ he said.
‘But I can’t do it next year because we’ve got a general election, we’ve American presidential elections, so this year I am kind of free in a way to do it.’
He added: ‘You know, the (Brexit) referendum was a long time ago, there are a lot of young people who don’t know who I am, don’t know what I stand for.
‘This is my big chance to reach a really big audience of young people, which I think will be good for me and really good for GB News as well. That’s one reason for doing it.’
Nigel will be joined by an assortment of pop stars, actors and social media influencers when he lands in the jungle, among them TikTok star Nella Rose – a staunch leftist at odds with his right leaning political views.
All set: It comes after Nigel insisted he’s ready for whatever the jungle throws at him when he enters camp this week
Foreshadowing a potential clash with his imminent campmate, he added: ‘Worst nightmare? That’s easy – there’s thousands of them. Anyone who is an aggressive remoaner would be the worst nightmare.’
The broadcaster also insisted the main challenge will be stepping out of his comfort zone after years spent living in a political bubble.
‘I’ve lived on news, numbers, and information,’ he said. ‘To go away from that for several weeks is one really big challenge: to confront things that are obviously frightening but to have to deal with them and come through them.
‘The upsides are obvious. They’re obvious. You reach a whole new big audience, you test yourself in a way that you haven’t done for years, you make good money doing it.
‘The downsides – well look. It could be a complete, total car crash. A disaster. I might finish up having a fight with somebody – who knows! I might get voted out on the first round, I don’t know.
He added: ‘But I know that things could go very badly wrong and you’re on camera 24 hours a day, seven days a week for up to 22 days that the contestants are in the jungle. So of course a lot could go wrong.
‘But whoever did anything in life that was worthwhile without taking a risk?’
Possible clashes: Nigel will be joined by an assortment of pop stars, actors and social media influencers when he lands in the jungle
Nigel and Nella will join JLS star Marvin Humes, broadcaster Grace Dent, Made In Chelsea’s Sam Thompson, and This Morning host Josie Gibson in this year’s cast.
First Dates host Fred Sirieix, Hollyoaks actor Nick Pickard and singer and actress Jamie Lynn Spears – the younger sister of pop star Britney – are also joining the camp.
Retired jockey Frankie Dettori and boxer Tony Bellew have also been rumoured to be potential campmates, but entering as this series’ latecomers.
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! aires at 9:00pm on ITV1 from November 19.