I’m A Celebrity bosses have been warned watchdogs will ‘come down on them like a ton of bricks’ if they continue to sign a specific type of celebrity.
ITV may not enlist any more politicians to join the jungle fun from the upcoming series, a big blow after the success of MPs Matt Hancock and Nigel Farage.
A source told The Sun: ‘It was already highly doubtful that another political type would be cast for I’m A Celeb after the backlash last time, particularly to Farage but also the kickback to Hancock.
‘They also change up the playbook every year to keep things fresh. The timings of the General Election are just too much of a headache and it was the final straw. Of course, casting is in its early stages and never say never, but they are extremely unlikely to go down that road.’
Matt, 45, finished in a surprisingly high third place in 2022 when Parliament was still in session while Nigel, 60, also finished third, but in 2023.
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ITV may not enlist any more politicians to join the jungle fun from the upcoming series of I’m A Celeb, a big blow after the success of MPs Matt Hancock and Nigel Farage (pictured)
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Matt (pictured) finished in a surprisingly high third place in 2022 when Parliament was still in session while Nigel also finished third, but in 2023
Cristina Nicolotti Squires, of the watchdog, said: ‘If broadcasters want to take the risk of having a high-profile politician, who’s not standing for a seat hosting a programme, they’re going to have to work bloody hard to make sure that those programmes are duly impartial. And we will come down on them like a ton of bricks [if they aren’t].’
This news follows on from February reports of the very same nature.
A source told The Mirror at the time: ‘In the past it’s been really interesting to see which politicians are willing to join the show, with some even serving MPs. But this year, with an election looming, it doesn’t feel like the right moment for that.
‘Coming on top of Farage not helping to pull in the punters last year, and Ant and Dec making it clear they want a change, this year it’s a case of avoid, avoid, avoid.
‘It’s time for something different so it’s fair to say no one is seeking any controversial figures from the world of politics at this stage.’
However, when MailOnline approached ITV for comment, the show’s spokesperson said: ‘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 23 series on air.
‘There are no plans for this to change when the series returns to screens this year.’
Ant added: ‘Agreed, agreed, agreed.’
I’m a Celeb bookers have been told to ‘avoid political figures’ after the hit show saw a ratings slump during Nigel’s stint in the Jungle.
The order to ditch the politicians has come from ITV bosses after a lot of viewers chose to skip last year’s edition of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
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This news follows on from February reports of the very same nature and hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly both requested a politician-free year
The 2023 final saw viewing figures plummet by 4million with an average of just 6.6million people tuning in compared to 10.1million in 2022.
ITV bosses believe that the slump in viewing figures is due to the recent inclusion of controversial politicians in the line-up of celebrities.
Politicians have become a staple of the I’m a Celeb cast in recent years with veteran Tory Edwina Currie, Lib Dem Lembit Öpik and former leader of Scottish Labour Kezia Dugdale all appearing.
MailOnline has again contacted ITV for comment.
