Internet star Maynard is kicked off I’m a Celebrity over message complaints
YOUTUBE star Jack Maynard has been kicked off TV show I’m a Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here after allegations emerged suggesting he had sent inappropriate messages to a female fan.
The allegation against the 22-year-old was reported by the Daily Mirror newspaper and follows outrage at homophobic and racist posts previously made on social media.
Following Maynard’s exclusion from the jungle-themed reality show after just one episode on Tuesday night, an ITV spokesman commented: “Due to circumstances outside camp, Jack has had to withdraw from the show.” In a statement, his publicist confirmed the popular vlogger would be leaving the ITV show in order to defend himself against allegations and that he agreed with the decisions “made by his representatives and ITV”.
The statement added: “In the last few days Jack Maynard has been the subject of a succession of media stories which, given his position as a contestant on I’m a Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here — filmed in the Australian jungle, with no contact with the outside world — he has been unable to respond to.
“Since it is only fair that everyone should be aware of any allegations made against them and should also have the right to defend themselves, it was agreed that it would be better to bring him out of the show.”
On Tuesday’s episode, hosts Ant and Dec were forced to reveal his removal halfway through the show, informing audiences they were no longer able to vote for him in the programme’s bushtucker trial feature.
The offensive messages on Twitter date back as far as 2011 and have long since been deleted.
His spokesperson added that Maynard was “ashamed” of the homophobic and racist slurs contained in the comments and admitted the language used was “completely unacceptable”.
The younger brother of pop star Conor Maynard, the scandal-hit celebrity has 1.2 million followers on his YouTube channel which is thought to generate over £66,000 a year in advertising revenue.
Yesterday, the chart-topping grime star Stormzy also apologised for a series of old tweets which appeared to contain homophobic language.
The performer showed remorse on Twitter, saying: “I said some foul and offensive things whilst tweeting years ago at a time when I was young and proudly ignorant.
“Very hurtful and discriminative views that I’ve unlearned as I’ve grown up and become a man.”