20 November 2023 , 10:11
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The Jeremy Vine Show star, Marina Purkiss, is fuming with ITV - and Ant and Dec - after seeing Nigel Farage rock up on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!
The former UKip leader, 59, is following in the footsteps of disgraced MP and ex-campmate, Matt Hancock, 45, hoping to show viewers the 'real him'. However, Marina, 39, is livid the GB News host, who has reportedly been paid £1.5m to go into the jungle, has been given a mainstream platform to air his controversial views, as she took to X slamming the decision.
Referring to the presenter's 2018 interview with online conspiracy theorist Alex Jones - who claims the 7/7 terror attack and the Sandy Hook school shooting were "staged", she wrote: "Dear @ITV& @antanddec, the man you’re paying £1.5m was happy to repeatedly appear on a far-right US show hosted by a conspiracy theorist who claims 7/7 terror attack & US school shootings were faked And you think he’s suitable for family entertainment Well done, b******s."
The Jeremy Vine show commentator, Marina Purkiss, is not happy ITV has allowed former UKip leader, Nigel Farage, to take part in I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! (Channel 5)Marina went on to share a screenshot of a new report about Mr Farage's past appearances on Alex Jones' show. The Channel 5 star linked the report to a tweet and added: "Disgusting decision. But hey, what price for clicks and views."
Ever since Mr Farage was announced as one of the class of I'm A Celebrity 2023, many viewers have threatened to boycott the show. However, his team appear to have been brushing off the boycott, sharing a screengrab of 'Farage' trending on X - formerly Twitter - and writing: "Good to see the boycott’s going well then…"
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"This is exactly why they chose him," wrote one viewer on X. "These kinds of programs thrive on creating conflict, because that's what most of the audience want. More conflict = more viewers talking about it = extra viewers wanting see it = more ad revenue."
Others backed up Marina's post, claiming Ant and Dec, who have hosted the reality show since its inception in 2002, were just as 'guilty' as ITV, claiming: "Reading that @antanddec are making a few digs at Farage is irrelevant, too. They are tarnished with the same brush. @imacelebrity are paying him £1.5 million and he’s exempt from the trials! They’ve given a @GBNEWS presenter a mainstream platform. More right wing sewage".
ITV responded to the backlash, saying in a statement: "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. As with any camp mate, viewers are invited to form their own opinions when the show begins on Sunday."
The statement comes after fans let rip at Ant and Dec after they posted a photo of themselves by a pair of clocks, one showing Queensland time and the other UK. They wrote: "Let’s get ready to jungle." However, the responses to the post were less than enthusiastic, with one commenting: "Not a chance." While another wrote simply: "Nope."
*I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! is on ITV on Monday at 9pm