Popular television hosts Ant and Dec have directly addressed a growing wave of complaints from viewers of I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! regarding the amount of luxury food the campmates have been receiving.
The Source of the Viewer Backlash
Fans of the hit ITV show have taken to social media in large numbers to voice their dissatisfaction. A common complaint centres on the perception that the celebrities are facing an easier time than in previous seasons, with one viewer on X (formerly Twitter) stating, "S*** trials, too much food." Another commented on the frequent access to treats, saying, "Drinking tea, which used to be a treat. Access to treats daily, pretty much, easy tasks to get 12 stars."
This criticism emerged after a group of campmates, including Emmerdale's Lisa Riley, rapper Aitch, and actress Ruby Wax, were treated to a luxury cooked breakfast less than a week into the series. The reward was given to those who had received a badge from temporary camp leaders Vogue Williams and Tom Read Wilson.
Ant and Dec Have Their Say
The presenting duo, both 49, did not hold back when they appeared on the show's spin-off programme, I'm A Celebrity's Unpacked, on Saturday night. They responded to the online criticism head-on.
Dec explained the situation from the campmates' perspective: "I saw a couple of people online during the show go 'urgh they’ve had marshmallows, they’ve had hot chocolate, they’ve had breakfast and it’s only been a week'. What are they moaning for? But when you think of that expansive time over a week, and most of it has been rice and beans, to go out for that breakfast must have been a taste sensation."
Ant McPartlin was quick to back up his co-host, insisting that the celebrities are still operating on far less food than normal. "Yeah, because most people eat what they’ve eaten in a week in a day. So they are hungry," he stated. He also humorously defended the quality of the ingredients provided, adding, "This year, what they’ve been given [to cook] hasn’t been awful. Even octopus, if you cook it right, is nice. They just cooked it badly!"
A Stark Contrast to Previous Years
The current series stands in sharp contrast to the show's history, where celebrities often faced severe food shortages. Past contestants like Helen Flanagan, Katie Price, and Gillian McKeith frequently returned from Bushtucker Trials empty-handed, forcing the camp to survive on minimal rations.
The show has been notorious for its participants shedding significant weight. Previous winner Christopher Biggins, who triumphed in 2007, spoke about his jungle weight loss, and Nick Knowles reportedly lost more than two stone after his stint in the Australian outback in 2018.
While most campmates enjoyed their breakfast reward, the decision by leaders Vogue and Tom Read Wilson meant that two stars were left out. EastEnders actress Shona McGarty and former Lioness Alex Scott, who did not receive badges, were visibly disheartened to learn they would not only miss the feast but also had to take part in the next trial.
