ITV bans politicians from I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here
Several former Tory MPs who lost their seats in Labour’s election landslide might be desperate for a well-paid stint on reality TV.
But one programme they won’t be welcome on is I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here – which has banned politicians after Nigel Farage took part last year.
An insider at ITV told the Mail: ‘They’re not doing politicians this year. It’s been a heightened year for everyone when it comes to politics, what with the General Election. People have definitely had enough of seeing them on their screens.’
Matt Hancock, the former Tory health secretary, appeared on the show in 2022, followed last year by the now Reform leader and MP Mr Farage, who was paid a reported £1.5million for his three weeks in the jungle. Both politicians came third as voted for by the public.
The no-politician policy on the channel’s flagship show – the third most watched programme last year behind the King’s Coronation and the crime drama Happy Valley‘s finale – is a blow for ex-MPs hoping to remain in the public eye.
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here has banned politicians after Nigel Farage took part last year
An insider at ITV told the Mail: ‘People have definitely had enough of seeing them on their screens’. Pictured: Nigel Farage finishes third on December 10, 2023. He was paid a reported £1.5million for his three weeks in the jungle
Matt Hancock , the former Tory health secretary, appeared on the show in 2022. Pictured: The ex-Health Secretary facing the Bushtucker Trial, La Cucaracha Cafe on November 11, 2022
Potential Tory frontrunners predicted to appear on this year’s show included former business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg, ex-leader of the Commons Penny Mordaunt and the country’s shortest-reigning prime minister, Liz Truss.
But the ITV insider said: ‘ITV doesn’t like to have the same line-up for more than two years in a row. You’ve got to change things up.’
Mr Farage, 60, proved a tricky participant for ITV, regularly accusing the broadcaster of foul play during and after his stint on the show.
He warned the channel’s director Kevin Lygo against going to ‘war’ with him, claiming that his life had been made ‘quite unpleasant’ while on the show.
Mr Farage said bosses deliberately censored him, reduced his airtime and chose to show him – but no other contestant – naked while showering in the Australian jungle.
Supporters followed up his accusations online with calls on X for ITV to be ‘held accountable’ for censoring the politician.
In the final week of the show, the controversy prompted I’m A Celebrity‘s hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly to declare on their Instagram live channel Jungle Club: ‘I think we do a year without any politicians.’
