THE final week of I’m A Celebrity has been marred by hundreds of Ofcom complaints.
Unhappy viewers were left concerned for the welfare of animals involved and many feared Sam Thompson was being bullied by Fred Siriex.
Fans were left shocked when the French chef took a swipe at Sam as he insisted on taking part in the Bushtucker Trial.
He said: “You stay here and play with your toys.”
The episode ended up getting 59 complaints.
The following day there were another 58 complaints, 44 of which related to the treatment of animals.
The show’s final, which saw Sam win, racked up 60 grievances – over half of which were about animal welfare again.
The episode saw Tony Bellew covered in a huge variety of creepy crawlies, including cockroaches and scorpions.
Nigel Farage was locked in a coffin and surrounded by snakes.
It wasn’t just viewers who were upset about it thought, Chris Packham lashed out at the show for being “grotesque” for its “continued exploitation of animals”.
As he shared an open letter, he told his followers: “Hello , I’ve written another letter to Ant and Dec about the ongoing appalling abuse of animals on the @ITV programme I’m A Celebrity.
“I’ve tried to be polite, but my patience has run thin.”
Part of his letter read: “My letters were polite, reasonable and constructive. This time I’ll be a little more frank and forthright.
“I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here remains a grotesque blot on the reputations of both yourselves and ITV.”
The letter ends: “To conclude, how about you announce that from 2024 there will be no more abuse of animals for entertainment, that instead there will be an educational component which will celebrate wildlife and its conservation.”
ITV bosses later hit back at his comments, saying: “We have a very strict environmental plan in place on the show.
“Welfare and safety is always the primary priority on any of our programmes.
“At any Bushtucker trial that features animals, we have qualified and experienced animal handlers on site at all times.”
