Television personality Ruby Wax caused a major stir during Thursday night's episode of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! spin-off show Unpacked. The 72-year-old actress left viewers and fellow guests in shock after unexpectedly revealing her underwear live on air.
The Live On-Air Reveal
During a fan Q&A segment, host Joel Dommett read out a question asking why Ruby considered her underwear lucky. The query referenced her time in the jungle, where she had given streamer AngryGinge a pair of her 'kickers' for luck before his Bushtucker Trial. Ruby explained her superstitious belief, stating, "So, I have to have red or I'm cursed. I even have them on today."
To the astonishment of co-guest and 2024 King of the Jungle Danny Jones, she then lifted her shirt and pulled the red underwear out from the waistband of her jeans. A gasping Danny exclaimed, "Oh my God are you showing me?!" Host Joel Dommett quipped that the garment "looks like a small string!" and joked about her fronting a new Ann Summers campaign.
Controversy From the Jungle
This televised moment followed earlier controversy during the main show. Before the 24-year-old AngryGinge undertook the 'Terrifying Tours' Bushtucker Trial, which involved retrieving stars with his mouth from a box of creatures, Ruby stopped him. She told him, "I just want to give you the lucky underpants. I always wear red when, you know, I want to pull off something."
She then placed the underwear in his rucksack for luck. AngryGinge told the camera, "Ruby gave me her lucky underwear. However, we will see how lucky they are today," adding that he wouldn't be touching them. Ruby assured him, "The pants are clean!" before he left with fellow campmate Lisa Riley waving him off.
Viewer Backlash and Reaction
The gesture, both in the jungle and on the live show, did not sit well with many viewers at home. On social media platform X, one person criticised the act as "weird and disgusting," questioning the reaction if the genders were reversed. Another viewer called it "inappropriate and embarrassing," expressing discomfort at watching with an 11-year-old present.
The incident has sparked debate about on-screen behaviour and appropriateness, adding another layer of memorable, if contentious, moments to this year's I'm A Celebrity series. Ruby Wax's unapologetic and cheeky persona, exemplified by her final quip to Joel about "what it's doing in my front," continues to divide audience opinion.
