ITV I'm A Celeb hit with backlash hours before launch as fans demand huge change

ok.co.uk:

There's an uproar among fans of I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! who are now calling for the show to ditch challenges involving animals and insects, branding them "disgusting." ITV's hit series, famed for setting celebrities against tasks featuring camel penis, pig testicles and live bugs, has a history of criticism for animal use, including disapproval from RSPCA over what it sees as "mistreatment".

With concerns growing that the broadcaster might intensify these elements for viewer excitement, a flurry of audience members have taken to social platforms to voice their opposition, reports the Mirror.

One viewer expressed: "Never watched this s***, and never will.The cruelty to/exploitation of wildlife here for human entertainment is beyond disgusting.There's NO justification for it, and this show should have been stopped years ago." Another person commented: "Ban I'm A Celeb - gratuitous violent cruelty to other creatures for entertainment!" A third viewer wrote "I can think of way more than five reasons, this drivel is SO wrong on so many levels - but OK this is just a start." Adding to the digital debate, Charity Project the Wild criticised the programme's use of "invasive species is wrong." They've also denounced the portrayal of animals as mere objects for entertainment.The RSPCA has slammed the ITV show for putting "living creatures in dangerous and unnatural situations" with Dr Ros Clubb expressing concern over the potential harm to animals on set and the risk of viewers imitating the show's trials.

Dr Ros stated: "Programmes like 'I'm A Celebrity' are still flagrantly disregarding the welfare of animals in the interest of a quick thrill and there's currently nothing in the Broadcasting Code to dissuade them.".