Nigel Farage has revealed that his health issues will prevent him from taking part in certain Bushtucker Trials during his upcoming stint on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here.
The former Ukip and Brexit Party leader will be entering the jungle to take part in the 23rd season of ITV’s reality show, alongside famous faces including Jamie-Lynn Spears, This Morning host Josie Gibson, singer and presenter Marvin Humes and First Dates star Fred Sirieix.
Farage is thought to be the highest-paid contestant in I’m A Celebrity history, reportedly receiving £1.5m for his appearance.
In an interview with The Sun, he confirmed that the injuries he has sustained in previous accidents will mean that he is exempt from some of the show’s physical challenges.
In the run up to the general election in 2010, Farage was involved in a plane crash, and suffered a punctured lung, two chipped vertebrae, several fractured ribs and a fractured sternum.
“Anything involving weightlifting, I’d be out because I’ve obviously had some quite serious physical injuries and neck reconstructions and goodness knows what else,” the 59-year-old said.
“So they are fully aware that I’m a little bit damaged when it comes to bodily structure. But having said that, I can still do most things.”
The cast of I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!— (ITV)
For his first challenge, the GB News presenter will be dropped into the middle of the Australian desert along with Gibson and YouTube star Nella Rose, 2,000 miles away from the rest of the campmates.
He and his fellow stars will have to complete a series of tasks and if they succeed, the campmates in the jungle will have more time to complete their own trials.
Farage’s appearance on the hit show has already proved controversial, thanks to his well-documented right-wing views on topics such as immigration and the gender pay gap, with some fans threatening to boycott the series.
“I’m A Celebrity has always featured a diverse cast from all areas of public life and has a history of featuring political figures throughout its 20 years on screen,” ITV said in a statement.
Farage is reportedly the highest-paid contestant in the show’s history— (PA)
Speaking in The Sun, Farage admitted that his time on the show “could be a complete, total car crash”.
“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 said.
“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.”
The new series of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! will begin on ITV on 19 November.
