I’m A Celeb race storm as first two campmates to get evicted are black
I’M A Celebrity is at the centre of a racism row after Scarlette Douglas became the second black contestant to be voted off the show.
The former A Place In The Sun presenter, 35, was evicted in Sunday night’s episode – days after Charlene White was also forced out by the public.
Miss Douglas had been the only remaining non-white contestant in the Australian camp alongside Babatunde Aleshe – who also ended up in the bottom two.
It marks the second consecutive year the ITV series has been hit by a racism storm. Music producer Naughty Boy, paralympian Kadeena Cox and DJ Snoochie Shy were evicted early on in last’s year’s series – leaving an allwhite line-up.
Fans of the show accused voters of racism, with several highlighting that in the show’s 20-year history, all winners have been
‘She did everything she could’
white. Another wrote on Twitter: ‘If you still need proof that racism is very much alive and kicking in this country, two black women have now been consecutively voted out... Still think we’re pulling the race card?’
A third wrote: ‘Charlene, now Scarlette... Black women don’t stand a chance on reality TV. It just shows how racist and sexist this country is.’
A source close to Miss Douglas told the Mail: ‘All Scarlette could do was be herself on the show and she did everyone proud.
‘There’s nothing she could have done differently. If she isn’t the public’s favourite then that’s that but she did everything she could to show viewers who she really is.’
Asked if racism was one of the reasons she was voted off, Miss Douglas sidestepped the topic but said she had a smaller profile than other contestants.
It came as choreographer Arlene Phillips hit out at the fact that female contestants are often the first to be eliminated from the
show. The ex-Strictly Come Dancing judge, who was voted out first in last year’s series, told the Mail+ Jungle Confidential podcast that it was suggestive of a more systemic problem. ITV declined to comment on the racism row.