Chris Packham, the 65-year-old Springwatch presenter and animal activist, has disclosed his longstanding grievance with the reality show I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here. Speaking to Radio Times, Packham explained that he sends an annual letter to hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, criticising the programme for using animals "purely for entertainment."
Annual Letters to Ant and Dec
Packham, who is set to front a new BBC science series titled Evolution, admitted that every year he writes to the Geordie duo, who have hosted the ITV hit since its inception. The presenter believes the show reinforces negative stereotypes about certain animals and exploits them. Despite his persistent efforts, he has yet to receive a reply from Ant and Dec, but he remains undeterred in his mission.
Previous Outburst in 2023
In 2023, Packham took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a strongly-worded letter to the presenters, in which he branded the show "grotesque" and "exploitative." He pleaded with ITV bosses to "listen to the voices of concern [and] read the writing on the wall," pointing to falling viewing figures as evidence of public discontent.
ITV's Response
ITV responded to the criticism with a statement defending their practices. The network said: "We are always fully transparent about our protocols and we have a very strict environmental plan in place on the show. As a production, we comply with all regional and national laws concerning the use of insects, animals and reptiles. Welfare and safety is always the primary priority on any of our programmes, and at any Bushtucker trial that features animals, we have qualified and experienced animal handlers on site at all times. We inform the RSPCA NSW of all of our activities on the show and they have an open invitation to attend the site at any time. We cannot stress enough that we have rigorous protocols in place to ensure that animals are handled safely at all times, before, during and after any filming has taken place, in compliance with all regional and national laws."
Packham's New BBC Show
Packham's upcoming BBC series, Evolution, traces four billion years of life on Earth through five creatures: the bat, the peacock, the kangaroo, and others. Each episode focuses on a different animal's history. The series also gave Packham pause to reflect on his own neurodiversity in an evolutionary context. He said: "I mean, why wouldn't we be neurologically diverse, so that in a time of crisis, a percentage of our population would be better equipped to deal with it and more likely to survive? Neurodiversity must have been advantageous throughout the course of our species' history." Evolution begins at 9pm on Monday 13 July on BBC Two and iPlayer.
