In the past few weeks, you may have seen #BoycottImACeleb circulating on social media. You may have also seen that the viewing figures for the opening episode of I’m a Celeb 2023 were a hefty 2 million lower than the opening episode of last year’s series. But why are viewers boycotting such a ‘harmless’, well-loved family favourite?
Judged by the outcry on social media, one name is to blame: Nigel Farage.
The former UK Independence Party (UKIP) leader and key campaigner for Brexit is not the first divisive politician to become a contestant on the show and toot out the old tune of wanting people to see the real him. I am, of course, referring to last year’s entrant Matt Hancock, the infamous Conservative politician and ex-Health Secretary who is currently under investigation for his mishandling of the Covid pandemic, which is believed by many to have caused thousands of avoidable deaths. Yet ITV has not only freely given these ill-famed politicians a platform to rehabilitate their public image – they have paid them handsomely too. While Hancock was paid a ‘humble’ fee of £320,000 for his time in the jungle, Farage has been paid a whopping £1.5 million to appear on the show – the highest fee ever paid to an I’m A Celeb contestant.
So, who is Nigel Farage? And why is he despised by so many in the nation? I have compiled some facts to help unveil the ‘real him’ that he is so keen for the public to associate with him…
- During his youth, Farage was described by concerned teachers in his private college as professing racist and neo-fascist views. While on a college camp, he was reported as having marched through a quiet Sussex village late at night shouting Hitler Youth songs. There is further evidence of Farage having expressed extreme antisemitic views on multiple occasions.
- As a sixth-former, he was a profoundly vocal supporter of the National Front – a far-right, fascist political party.
- Farage is well-known as the ex-leader of both the right-wing UK Independence Party and the Brexit Party (now known as Reform UK). During his time as a frontrunner for both parties, he became widely recognised as a xenophobe, declaring severe, hateful opinions on anti-immigration, including the ‘Breaking Point’ poster which drew strong similarities to Nazi propaganda.
- He has been repeatedly accused of tax fraud and the misspending of taxpayers’ money (for his own benefit).
- In interviews, he has openly admitted his admiration of the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
- Farage has been a public supporter of Donald Trump. This was emphasised in 2016 when Farage defended Trump’s vile, misogynistic comments which were caught on tape, including the now infamous line, “Grab ‘em by the p*ssy. You can do anything”. Nigel Farage justified the repugnant actions towards women that Trump described by claiming, “It’s the kind of thing if we’re being honest, men do”.
By treating him as a ‘Marmite contestant’, the ITV producers are effectively normalising his hateful, racist, antisemitic character, while giving him a platform to grow his popularity in anticipation of future political elections. That is – if he plays his cards right.
Evidently, Farage has been briefed by his political advisors before entering the show, as he is desperate for attention from the cameras to the point of flashing his bare bum for airtime (and no one wants to see that atrocity). He has even openly conveyed his desperation for publicity, showing disappointment when not selected for a bushtucker trial, before discreetly explaining to another contestant that it is because the trials are “25% of the airtime”.
For those not boycotting, it will be worth seeing whether Farage’s authentic self is gradually revealed during his time in the jungle, as the reality show is known for exposing individuals’ real personalities as the weeks drag on. For an individual with such a hateful track record, I believe Farage may struggle to keep up the persona of the ‘happy chap’ who ‘tells it like it is’.