Chris Packham has accused Ant and Dec of deliberately ignoring his calls for them to meet up with him to discuss the treatment of animals on I’m A Celebrity.
The Springwatch presenter has been one of the ITV reality show’s biggest critics in recent years, and was even booed at the TV Choice Awards in September when he accused bosses of “abusing” animals in Bushtucker Trials.
Speaking to the Daily Star, Chris has now suggested that presenters Ant and Dec were complicit in I’m A Celebrity’s treatment of animals, claiming the pair have repeatedly snubbed his offers to talk about the issue in detail.
“Every year for the past five years I’ve written to the producers of the programme complaining about the way they stereotype animals and abuse them. I always write to them and I’ve never had a reply,” he said.
“I then published an open letter in Radio Times asking for a personal reply from Ant and Dec. They didn’t reply.”
Chris continued: “I’m told it’s ITV’s most lucrative programme. I think they still believe that a significant part of the audience are titillated by animals being abused. But that is wrong.
“The whole thing utterly appals me and goes against everything I seek to achieve as a broadcaster. We are looking at a programme I feel is out of date.
“We’ve done away with circuses and dolphinariums. The way we think about animals is changing very rapidly and it’s time I’m A Celebrity caught up.”
Chris will no doubt be displeased to hear that a number of stars have now begun landing in Australia ahead of the new series of I’m A Celebrity, which kicks off on Sunday.
Although the line-up is yet to be confirmed, celebrities including Caitlyn Jenner, Jacqueline Jossa and Ian Wright have all landed Down Under, having already been heavily tipped to be taking part.