I'm A Celeb: Matt Hancock receives backlash after 'joining' show
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Chris Packham, 61, has criticised celebrities who have chosen to partake in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! this year, after claiming the series is guilty of “animal abuse”. The Autumnwatch star took to Twitter today to hit out at the latest group of famous faces who will be entering the jungle this week.
I’m A Celeb 2022 starts this Sunday on ITV, as the show returns to its regular home in Australia for the first time since before the coronavirus pandemic.
However, not everyone is thrilled to see the show make a comeback, with presenter and nature-lover Chris being quick to slam the show.
“In a cohort of people, amongst whom there are some true gems of integrity and credibility,” Chris wrote in view of his 578,700 followers.
“But others who have sold their souls to greed, what good does it do your colleagues to sell your shirt to the ultimate in animal abusing trash TV?”
Wildlife groups have hit out at I’m A Celeb in the past, with BBC TV personality Chris Packham often leading the criticism.
The star has sent numerous letters to the ITV show over years, accusing them of “stereotyping” the animals which he believes are being used for “entertainment”.
He told Metro: “The time I spend making TV programmes I’m trying to engender an affinity for life.
“It’s not just about the cute and the cuddly, it’s about everything because everything is necessary. So it’s about snakes, it’s about spiders, it’s about cockroaches.
“What I object to on the programme is the ongoing stereotyping of these animals as being things which are dirty, disgusting, poisonous, dangerous and so on and so forth. And that’s counter productive to everything that I do.
“We don’t have wild animals in the circus any more, we don’t like animals being used for that sort of entertainment any more. So why would we countenance it on a TV programme?”
Chris’ most recent spat with ITV over one of its most popular shows has pertained to whether or not insecticide is used in the camp.
The naturalist has alleged that the jungle is doused with the chemical in order to stop bugs biting the star contestants.
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In an interview with the Mirror, Chris claimed an I’m A Celeb crew member told him: “Every day they would spray the entire jungle in that area with insecticide to kill any biting insects.”
“Imagine what that is doing to the environment?” he continued.
“So none of them were getting pestered by insects, they had to constantly spray the camp.
“It just gets worse and worse the more I learn about it. Someone that worked on it told me that.
“When they were in the jungle none of them were scratching and itching or complaining about the insects,” he added, “It’s really upsetting. It’s like a circus.”
However, ITV have refuted these allegations, telling Express.co.uk: “This is categorically not true.
“As a production we do not spray the jungle or castle area with insecticide. We have a strict environmental plan in place.”
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! returns this Sunday, November 6 at 9pm on ITV.
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