Viewers of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! have launched a vocal protest on social media, accusing the show's producers of unfairly favouring contestant Kelly Brook with an excessive amount of airtime.
Social Media Erupts Over Airtime Disparity
Fans of the hit ITV series, which returned to screens on Sunday, have taken to platforms like Reddit to express their frustration. Many feel the distribution of screen time is unbalanced, with the model and actress dominating recent episodes at the expense of other popular campmates.
One viewer posed a pointed question on Reddit: "But why are the editors so obsessed with her?... Catching up on Saturday's show, and oh my GOD it's like nobody else is there. Kelly is in almost every shot it feels like." The user directly compared her visibility to that of fellow contestant Shona McGarty, who participated in a Bushtucker Trial but received significantly less focus.
Another fan echoed this sentiment, stating, "I couldn't believe how little Shona was shown last night. I said to my husband about it." This growing chorus of opinion suggests a segment of the audience is growing weary of the perceived bias.
Shona McGarty's Underrepresented Role
The focus on the airtime controversy has shone a light on Shona McGarty, the 34-year-old actress best known for playing Whitney Dean in EastEnders for 16 years until 2024. Described by supporters as "funny and entertaining," fans are disappointed that she has had "little screen time" despite being a active participant in camp life.
In a telling statistic, Shona has undertaken three Bushtucker Trials, which is one more than Kelly Brook's two. Despite this higher level of participation in the show's key challenges, her presence in the edited broadcasts has been notably less prominent.
Feuds and Calls for Fairness
Recent episodes have heavily featured a simmering feud between Kelly Brook and Jack Osbourne. The tension began when Jack, the son of rock legend Ozzy Osbourne, criticised Kelly's potato-slicing technique. It later escalated into a clash over preparing fish for a camp meal.
While this drama has provided content for the editors, other social media users are pleading for a more balanced approach. One comment read, "Let’s hear more from others, like Alex [Scott]." Another simply posted, "I wish they would give others, rather than Kelly, more screen time. It's annoying."
This is not the first time Kelly Brook has been at the centre of discussion during this series. She previously made headlines for apparently forgetting her own birthday while in the jungle and for her pointed dig at Jack Osbourne.
It's worth noting that the 46-year-old actress, known for films like The Italian Job, also faced body-shaming from online trolls just before entering the camp. Her husband, Jeremy Parisi, whom she married in 2022, publicly defended her, praising her confidence and calling her a "positive role model for so many women."
As the series continues, it remains to be seen if ITV's editors will respond to the audience's feedback and adjust the screen time given to the diverse group of celebrities, which also includes Tom Read Wilson, Vogue Williams, and Martin Kemp.
