Whether it’s his infamous moonlit after-dinner dip with Aaron Banks or spotting migrant boats off the Kent coast, Nigel Farage is accustomed to watery escapades. Sadly he proved a damp squib during a sub-aqua challenge on I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here! (ITV1).
Farage and Hollyoaks actor Nick Pickard – now there’s a political alliance we didn’t expect to be reporting on a month ago – took the plunge in a Bushtucker Trial called “In Too Deep”. Aptly for a series that has often seemed stuck up the creek, it found the duo waist-deep in water tanks, taking turns to submerge themselves and unscrew stars with spanners.
The Hollybloke and the jolly bloke were joined by spiders, snakes, crabs and crocodiles but it wasn’t the wildlife that bothered Farage. He struggled to hold his breath underwater and was forced to utter that dread phrase: “I’m a celebrity, get me out of here.” As co-host Ant McPartlin later quipped: “You know Nigel. He always goes with the Leave option.”
Luckily, “merman” Pickard took up the slack and retrieved six stars out of 11. A visibly frustrated Farage said “I couldn’t bloody do it”, “I feel like a failure” and feared he’d “let the side down”. He’s reportedly been allowed secret cigarette breaks, stepping away from the cameras 10 times per day for a crafty smoke. On this evidence, it’s not doing his lung capacity much good. He confessed that he’s “more of a golfer than a swimmer” and “wasn’t a happy camper”.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
