I’m a Celebrity … Get Me out of Here! presenters Ant and Dec have called for the reality programme to take a break from having politicians as contestants.
Asked whether Rishi Sunak would be a potential future campmate, Dec said: “I think we do a year without any politicians.” “Agreed, agreed, agreed,” Ant responded.
The pair – real names Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly – made the comments during an Instagram livestream with fans on Saturday, the Daily Mail reported.
Numerous political figures have entered the jungle in the past decade. Nigel Farage, who is earning a reported £1.5m for taking part, is in the current series. The former MEP and Ukip leader does not appear to have boosted viewing figures, however.
Earlier in the series, the YouTube influencer Nella Rose accused him of being anti-immigration and wanting people like her “gone” from the UK. Farage said: “Anti-immigrant, right? No, no, all I’ve said is we cannot go on with the numbers coming to Britain that are coming.”
The former Brexit party leader was also criticised by another contestant, First Dates presenter Fred Sirieix, over a poster he used in his campaign for the UK to leave the EU during the 2016 referendum.
Sirieix, who was born in France, said Farage was demonising migrants and that it was “shameful”. Farage said: “In your view it was, but it wasn’t.”
Matt Hancock’s appearance on the programme last year triggered a public outcry after he had been sacked during the pandemic for kissing a colleague and was criticised by Sunak.
The former health secretary was subsequently suspended as Conservative MP for West Suffolk as party managers disagreed with his decision to take part in a reality TV show while parliament was sitting.
Hancock, who was repeatedly nominated for unpleasant “bushtucker trial” tasks but finished third in the show, said he wanted to raise awareness of dyslexia and show that politicians were human beings. He was paid £320,000 for taking part, according to the register of MPs’ financial interests, £10,000 of which he donated to charity.
In 2017, Kezia Dugdale, former leader of the Scottish Labour party, and Stanley Johnson, a former MEP and the father of ex-prime minister Boris Johnson, both appeared on I’m a Celebrity.
The former Conservative MP Edwina Currie was a contestant in 2014, while ex-culture secretary Nadine Dorries appeared while still an MP in 2012. Robert Kilroy-Silk, the former member of the European parliament and television presenter, was a contestant in the jungle in 2008.
Hancock was the only contestant involved in politics to reach the final of I’m a Celebrity.
