Nigel Farage managed to get us out of Europe, but now TV bosses want to get him into the jungle.
The ale-swigging politician, who was a prominent backer of the campaign to leave the EU, is wanted by producers to appear on ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!’
ITV producers are absolutely desperate to get Farage out in the jungle doing Bushtucker Trials to capitalise on his notoriety after the Brexit vote.
They are reported to have offered big money to the former Ukip leader, who stepped down from the party after the EU Referendum ‘to get his life back’.
But it seems even the £250,000 fee waved under his nose isn’t enough to tempt Farage into signing up to star in the show.
The 52-year-old spoke to Sky News to respond to rumours that he might be appearing on ‘I’m a Celebrity…’ and it wasn’t good news for anyone hoping to see him up to his neck in spiders.
He said there would be absolutely ‘no way’ he would be doing the reality TV show, despite the supposed six figure offer.
DESPITE speculation @Nigel_Farage tells me there is "no way" he will be off to the @imacelebrity jungle.
— Darren McCaffrey (@darrenmccaffrey) July 25, 2016
It’s not clear whether ITV bosses will try to tempt Farage with even more money. But they were said to be dead set on getting him at a time when Brexit is still a hot topic, believing his controversial views would make for sensational television.
A source told the Daily Mirror: ‘It would be TV gold to see Farage chomping on kangaroo anus or a turkey testicle in a Bushtucker trial.
‘This year, everyone is talking about Brexit, so producers are desperate to snare one of the biggest names from the Leave campaign for the jungle to make it the most talked about series yet.
‘Farage is a win with British voters – so producers think viewers would be keen to pick up the phone and nominate him to be covered in cockroaches or fish guts.’
Can we get a version of I'm a celebrity, as … Leave them there. Especially for Farage.
— Phil Lowry (@PhilLowry) July 25, 2016
He certainly wouldn’t be the first politician to take the plunge on I’m a Celebrity. The likes of fellow Ukipper Neil Hamilton and former Tory minister Edwina Currie featured in previous years along with politician Lembit Opik and Ukip member and TV host Robert Kilroy-Silk.
Tory MP Nadine Dorries got herself into bother when she entered the jungle in 2012 as she was suspended by her party for leaving her duties as MP for Mid Bedfordshire.
“Throwing a politician into the mix always makes fantastic TV,” added the source. “Edwina’s explosive rows with campmates was compulsive viewing, and Lembit’s trials were a ratings hit.”
