The overnight viewing figures for the latest I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here! finale have been revealed, and they’re quite telling.
On Sunday night, reality star Sam Thompson was crowned the new King Of The Jungle over runner-up Tony Bellew and third place finisher Nigel Farage.
Farage’s presence in the jungle had been hugely controversial from the get-go, with many viewers claiming they’d be boycotting the series this time around due to his involvement.
It was later revealed that this year’s I’m A Celebrity launch was the least-watched since the show began more than 20 years ago, with overnight figures for the finale telling a similar story.
As reported by Metro, an average of 6.6 million people tuned in to watch the finale, with 7.5 million watching at its peak.
This is a considerable drop compared to the previous year’s final, which had an average of 10.1 million watching, a full 3.5 million more than this year’s.
However, it’s worth pointing out that these figures only include those watching the show live, rather than anyone who streamed the finale on the catch-up service ITVX.
The controversy surrounding Farage’s casting only increased when it was reported in the media that he bagged £1.5 million for taking part, which is thought to be the biggest fee for a campmate in I’m A Celebrity history.
Since leaving the jungle, Farage addressed these claims during an interview on Good Morning Britain, confirming that I’m A Celebrity was the “biggest pay cheque” he’s received in his life.
Meanwhile, I’m A Celebrity hosts Ant and Dec have admitted they’re keen for the show to stop casting politicians in future series.