He’s no bully... he’s just and Judy’s girl defends

HE has faced criticism for his controlling, no-nonsense behaviour towards his fellow campmates.

But James Haskell’s wife, Chloe Madeley, has said that I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here is ‘orchestrating’ his bullying row.

The 32-year-old fitness enthusiast defended her husband after viewers slammed the former England rugby player for branding the other celebrities ‘a circus of stupidity’ in Saturday night’s episode.

Haskell, 34, also declared that he was ‘too intelligent and too switched on’ to discuss what he thought was a ‘simple’ question in the Dingo Dollar Challenge, in which the camp were playing to win a treat.

Miss Madeley, who is the daughter of TV’s Richard and Judy, posted on

‘Big reactions from big characters’

Instagram: ‘The poor guy is in a right old grump. His basal metabolic rate is around 2,500 calories [and] his total daily energy expenditure is around 4,000 calories so to go down to 800, maybe 1,200...is clearly taking its toll on him.

‘I think people should remember this is a TV show orchestrated to get big reactions out of big characters, and maybe take it a tad less seriously.’ Haskell has previously told how he enjoys a hearty breakfast and usually has ‘200g of fish, 200g of brown rice and 200g of green vegetables’ for lunch – followed by carb-loaded meals in the afternoon and evening.

The star was criticised by viewers after he snapped at comedian Andrew Maxwell, 44, and TV presenter Kate Garraway, 52 during the challenge. One Twitter user called Haskell a ‘prat’ and said ‘it’s not like he is the only one there that’s hungry and tired’. An ITV spokesman said campmates’ opinions are entirely their own.

Maxwell became the second contestant to be booted out of the jungle last night. Speaking about Haskell, he said: ‘James is either relentlessly keeping people’s spirits up with banter or he is constantly consoling and supporting people, being a life coach. The only thing outside that is he hates dithering.

‘So if there’s any dithering on a Dingo Dollar answer it just absolutely flips his lid.’