Cruel and sick! Viewers’ fury as jungle girl is made to eat a live spider
IT was the moment when even hardened fans of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! were left horrified.
For her final Bushtucker Trial, Ferne McCann was made to eat a live spider. But scenes of The Only Way Is Essex star Miss McCann trapping the huge arachnid in a glass and then gulping it down triggered around 1,200 complaints to ITV and to regulator Ofcom, which may now investigate whether the challenge broke broadcasting rules.
Presenter Ant McPartlin called the 25-year-old a hero afterwards but animal rights groups branded the stunt ‘contemptible’, ‘tacky’ and ‘inhumane’. Many of the 9.5million who watched Sunday night’s final were equally unimpressed.
One tweeted: ‘I’m A Celeb producers should be done for animal cruelty.’ Another wrote: ‘“You’re a hero” says Ant to the girl who just ate a live spider. No heroes involved, that was cruel and sick.’ A third wrote: ‘Eating a live creature in name of “entertainment”? I’m a Celebrity is appalling & reprehensible on so many levels.’
However, the disgusting feat was not enough for Miss McCann – who had already eaten lamb’s brains and a bull’s penis – to claim victory in the series, with the crown going to Geordie Shore’s Vicky Pattison, 28.
It is not the first time the show has been accused of cruelty. Wildlife presenter Chris Packham said it practised ‘animal abuse’, while in 2010 ITV was fined £1,660 after contestants Gino D’Acampo and Stuart Manning killed and cooked a rat. Elisa Allen, associate director of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said: ‘Time and time again, this programme has shown a complete disregard for sentient life.’
Andrew Tyler, director of Animal Aid, added: ‘I’m a Celebrity is clearly on a mission to desensitise people to being cruel and contemptuous towards any animal that is not on the top ten list of storybook favourites.’
Ofcom received 694 com- plaints. It said: ‘We will assess these before deciding whether to investigate or not.’
ITV received 500 complaints. It said: ‘I’m A Celebrity complies with all regional and national laws concerning the use of insects in the eating trials.’
The show also faced claims of a fix after fans said they were unable to vote for Miss McCann. ITV said voting had been frozen until all three of the final contenders completed their trials.