Twenty years in, you know what you’re getting with I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!. Soap actors will nibble on fried genitals. Spiders will crawl across singers’ foreheads. Black women will be voted out first. In 2019, Adele Roberts was the inaugural camper to be given her marching orders. Eighties pop queen Sinitta placed 11th in 2011. Even This Morning staple and universally adored national treasure Alison Hammond barely squeaked into 10th place in the 2010 series.
After two weeks of the ITV series’ 22nd season, the tradition holds steady: newsreader Charlene White and TV presenter Scarlette Douglas have been the first and second contestants to be eliminated from the competition. It’s not as if other candidates couldn’t have filled those unenviable boots. Matt Hancock’s inclusion in this year’s camp roster has dominated many viewer discussions, while the outspoken singer Boy George has proved a polarising presence. Yet, even without being involved in any on-air scandals or major disagreements, the first two eliminees from I’m a Celebrity have been Black women. Calling this a coincidence isn’t sufficient. In truth, it’s a glaring reflection of who the British public sees as deserving of their support.
