Emmerdale star Lisa Riley is set to receive special treatment on the new series of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, as her vegetarian status will exempt her from the show's most notorious eating trials.
Vegetarian Exemption for Camp Challenges
The 49-year-old actress, who arrived in Australia on Sunday, won't have to face the programme's most gruesome culinary moments that have historically included everything from crocodile feet and fish eyes to, in one particularly memorable moment with Ferne McCann, a live spider.
As a committed vegetarian who has lost an impressive 12 stone through rigorous meat-free meals and cutting out bread and alcohol, Riley will be served special meals in camp and provided with fruit-based alternatives during trials.
History of Dietary Accommodations
This isn't the first time the ITV show has accommodated contestants with dietary restrictions. Each series typically features one or two vegetarians who avoid the animal-chomping spectacle.
Fans have long argued that vegetarians get an easier ride during eating challenges. Many pointed out that while vegan contestant Bev Callard had to consume fermented plums and cheesefruit, these alternatives weren't considered as challenging as the sheep penis or deer testicles faced by her fellow campmates.
Changing Standards for Creature Consumption
In a significant policy change back in 2019, I'm A Celebrity producers announced that live insects would no longer be eaten on the programme, with only dead creatures being consumed moving forward.
This decision was welcomed by wildlife presenter Chris Packham, who described himself as "very pleased" and called it a "first step" toward more ethical treatment of creatures on entertainment shows.
Despite her dietary exemptions, Riley remains confident about her jungle experience. The actress joked that she was arriving in Australia to reprise the Emmerdale spin-off Dingles Down Under.
"I am a Dingle I can cope with anything, I'm from the north... we are made of tough skin," she told reporters. "I've worked on a farm and it's part of the job."
Meanwhile, her character Mandy Dingle's temporary absence from Emmerdale will be explained by a low-key departure to visit friends, with the character expected to return shortly after Riley's jungle stint concludes.
