I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! has been hit with a wave of Ofcom complaints as the total number of viewers grumbling over the ITV programme has risen above 3,000.
The ITV reality show returned Down Under this year after a two year break during the Covid-19 pandemic, with hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly hitting screens from the Australian jungle earlier this month.
However the 2022 series has not been without controversy as a batch of 12 new celebrities entered camp, with Matt Hancock hitting headlines for his controversial entry on the show as a serving MP, while Love Island star Olivia Attwood exited early on medical grounds.
TV regulator Ofcom has now received 3,287 complaints, with a total of 1,764 relating to Matt Hancock's presence in the jungle. The majority of the other complaints relate to the treatment of the West Suffolk MP, Ofcom confirmed.
This comes after Ofcom issued a statement last week in a blog post on its website, following a deluge of complaints for I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!
The statement read noted that the 'majority' of complainants 'objected' to Matt Hancock’s presence in the jungle, while others were concerned over his treatment treated by the other campmates.
The statement read: "It’s worth being aware that under our rules, in principle - and taking into account freedom of expression - there's no ban on any particular person taking part in programmes.
"However, if the mere presence of a person is likely to cause offence, we would expect broadcasters to take steps to mitigate or justify that offence. How they do that editorially, is up to them.
"As usual, we'll be assessing all these complaints against our broadcasting rules, before deciding whether or not to investigate."
The West Suffolk MP was suspended from the Conservative party after joining the I'm A Celebrity line-up amid widespread criticism of Mr Hancock appearance on the show while Parliament is sitting in the UK.
However, he has defended his decision arguing that the programme is 'a powerful tool to get our message heard by younger generations' and said he hopes to raise awareness of his dyslexia campaign while in the Australian jungle.
Mr Hancock remains in the camp after surviving the latest public elimination, which saw pop icon Boy George voted to leave the jungle.
