Springwatch star Megan McCubbin has voiced her concern over the continued use of live animals on ITV show I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!
The TV presenter, 28, who hosts the BBC nature programme alongside her step-dad Chris Packham, has appealed to bosses behind the popular reality TV to re-think their use of critters such as cockroaches, maggots and snakes in their live trials.
“They’re not strict enough in my opinion,” zoologist McCubbin told The Sun. “Animals are there to be marvelled at to appreciate and respect but to have them in this capacity in entertainment and a lot of the language used in these trials is quite negative.
“I’m not a fan of the show, I don’t watch it and I won’t until they drastically change things.”
She went on to suggest that they look for alternative trials not involving wildlife, explaining: “You can do adventures things and crazy daredevil experiences without involving animals.”
ITV did not agree with the Waterlands podcast host, however, telling the publication that they follow a “very strict environmental plan” and consult the RSCPA about all their trials.
Their statement reads: “We are always fully transparent about our protocols and we have a very strict environmental plan in place on the show.
“As a production, we comply with all regional and national laws concerning the use of insects, animals and reptiles.
“Welfare and safety is always the primary priority on any of our programmes, and at any Bushtucker trial that features animals, we have qualified and experienced animal handlers on site at all times.
“We inform the RSPCA NSW of all of our activities on the show and they have an open invitation to attend the site at any time.
“We cannot stress enough that we have rigorous protocols in place to ensure that animals are handled safely at all times, before, during and after any filming has taken place, in compliance with all regional and national laws.”
