Angry Ginge has been praised as a role model for young men after his confession about sobriety on I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here. The 24-year-old star said the words "I don't need alcohol in order to have a personality," a statement that life coach and author Michelle Elman described as "actually game-changing."
Michelle Elman, who has written books including 'The Joy of Being Selfish' and 'Bad Friend', said the confession was particularly important because of Angry Ginge's influence. She noted that in a culture focused on pub culture, drinking culture, and binge drinking culture, having a popular young man openly discuss sobriety was significant.
Elman also highlighted that the conversation on the show addressed the stigma faced by those who do not drink, including worries about dating and being perceived as boring or unattractive. She explained that as a life coach, one of the main insecurities she hears about is people going sober and worrying about how it will affect their love lives.
The author added that having such openness on television, especially from someone popular with younger men, demonstrates that "you can be cool, you can be popular, and you can be sober." She said this is when the ITV show is "at its best," as it reflects important real-life conversations.
Viewers echoed her sentiments on Instagram. One commenter said: "I loved seeing the conversation around sobriety (as someone is over two years in) and how they were all so honest and open about it. Hopefully it makes a difference to someone younger than me!" Another wrote: "Angry Ginge is HUGE for the younger male demographic. He's a fantastic role model... Both my daughters are in relationships with boys (18 & 20)... both are LOCKED IN to watch Angry Ginge." A third praised him as "absolutely brilliant," noting that their 14-year-old son, who rarely leaves his room, has been watching the show with them and that Ginge and fellow contestant Aitch are "two great role models for young men and teenage boys."
