I'm A Celebrity in chaos as outraged viewers switch off show

27 November 2023 , 10:53

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ITV I'm A Celebrity chaos as outraged viewers switch off in Nigel Farage boycott (Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here's ratings have yet taken another hit, with 1.3 million fewer viewers tuning in on Saturday compared to Monday night's episode.

Reports suggest the gritty ITV reality show's declining viewership is connected to Nigel Farage's participation, as thousands of outraged fans boycott the series for casting the controversial Brexit campaigner. The former UKIP leader is reportedly set to earn a whopping £1.5million for his stint in the jungle, making him the highest ever paid contestant in I'm A Celebrity history.

The second highest show earner was Deal or No Deal host Noel Edmonds in 2016, who is believed to have earned £600,000 for his appearance. The hashtag '#BoycottImACeleb' has now been used by nearly 10,000 people since Farage's addition to the line-up was announced, causing a dip in ratings that has now been dubbed the 'Farage Effect.' Saturday's episode, which aired at the later time of 9.30pm, was watched by 5.5 million people, a significant drop from Monday's 6.1 million.

Thousands have boycotted I'm A Celeb over Nigel Farage's involvement (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

In contrast, the 2022 launch of I'm A Celebrity attracted over 10 million viewers at its peak, an increase of two million from the previous year. The most-talked about contestant of last year's series was former Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who reportedly only donated 3% of his £400k pay cheque after leaving the jungle, despite promises to donate his fee before he headed into the jungle.

Farage is best known for his right-wing political beliefs, including his anti-immigration stance and divisive comments on the gender pay gap. In 2014, he said he felt "awkward" on a train journey in central London because he heard languages other than English being spoken. That same year, he hit headlines for suggesting that women who had children were worth less than their male counterparts in the workplace.

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One I'm A Celebrity viewer has slammed Farage’s casting as "a cynical bid to boosts its ratings", while another argued ITV should not be giving a platform to someone who "has assisted in doing untold damage to this country." Several petitions have also been launched in an attempt to get the "hateful" Farage removed from the show.

A number of high-profile public figures have also spoken out against Farage's participation on the show, with many taking to social media to call out ITV for signing the 58-year-old up. "Nigel Farage being put into the jungle by @ITV shows how insensitive, crass, tone deaf, idiot provocative, morally bankrupt a network they are," broadcaster Danny Baker said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Nigel has already been called out for his controversial ideologies, with First Dates star Fred Sirieix telling him, "You destroyed the economy" during a heated exchange over dinner last week. "One thing they said during the Brexit vote is 'we’re going to get £350 million a week that we can redirect to the NHS and build new hospitals and free care and all that'. Never happened," the French native added. Fred also asked Farage to name "three benefits" of Brexit, after accusing him of having "created a mess" with his campaign for Britain to leave the EU in 2016.

Emma Dooney