LONDON — Never mind the animal bollocks, here’s Nigel Farage.
After much speculation, the controversial former Brexit Party leader was confirmed Monday night as a contestant on this year’s “I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here,” a long-running British reality TV show that sees participants shipped off to the Australian jungle to perform grueling tasks — known as “bushtucker trials” in a bid to win a public vote.
In the past these have included eating camel testicles, chomping on crocodile anus — and being enclosed in a coffin full of snakes.
Explaining his reasons for taking on the show, Farage — who helped nudge Britain towards a Brexit referendum and had a two-decade spell as an MEP — said he had been “demonized over the years” by the political elite and hoped to reach a younger audience.
It would, he said, be “nice to show people I am not nasty.” Asked if he thinks viewers will vote to keep him on, Farage said: “Given [that] millions hate me, I do expect people will vote for me to do trials!”
Farage is not the first politician to appear on “I’m A Celebrity.”
Former Health Secretary Matt Hancock joined the lineup in 2022, while Nadine Dorries — then a Conservative MP — appeared on the show in 2012 and lost the Conservative whip for taking time off to head to the jungle.
Sophie Anderson, a UK-based writer, is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
