(Image: ITV1)
ITV I'm A Celebrity slapped with Ofcom complaints over Ant and Dec 'joke'
by Jessica Sansome · Manchester Evening NewsI'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here has been slapped with official complaints from angry viewers. The ITV reality show returned for its 2024 series earlier this month, fronted by Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly.
The launch show saw ten famous faces swap their lives of luxury for basic living Down Under. The initial campmates have since been joined by latecomers Maura Higgins and Reverend Richard Coles with the 12 celebrities living, on the whole, harmoniously in camp and fancing Bushtucker trials and challenges by the dozen.
However, it's now been revealed that Ant and Dec have prompted Ofcom complaints from digruntled fans . The show has racked up 70 complaints from viewers after some were left unimpressed by a joke from the host as they referenced the Bible and the Christian faith.
Their jokes came after Richard entered the Australian jungle alongside former Love Island star Maura Higgins last week. Since his arrival, Ant and Dec have been seen making prayer hands as orchestral music plays in the background while talking about Richard during the live shows, the Mirror reports.
During Maura and Richard's eating trial, Dec was heard asking him 'More tea vicar?" Then in the studio following the trial, Dec described the trial as 'unholy' with Ant adding 'Bum-h**ey'.
Meanwhile, viewers have begged 'protect him' after Richard was left crying as he opened up about his partner's tragic death. The 62-year-old admitted 'I miss him' in an honest conversation with Oti Mabuse during Tuesday's episode of I'm a Clebe (November 26), which saw the former Strictly Come Dancing pro speak about her daughter's premature birth.
She told Richard she was not allowed to hold her baby daughter and had to use her voice to connect with her. "They find comfort in your voice," Oti said. "For two months, every single day we’d sing church music." Richard then appeared to get emotional as he remembered baptising a "premature boy", who was "only just alive", and he and Oti shared an emotional hug.
(Image: James Gourley/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
He added: "I just remember he was this tiny little pulse of life, and David [his late partner] got a pipette of water and we blessed it, and we baptised him and he survived, and now he’s a healthy young footballer, which is great. But I just felt so… it was such a precious thing."
Dancing on Ice judge Oti said: "They are (precious), my daughter was really, really tiny when she was born. It’s hell. It’s hell to be in the hospital, to hear those sounds, to not see your baby’s eyes for a week, it’s hell to constantly look for advice from the doctors."
Becoming tearful, she added that the worst thing was that "every night, you need to leave them, you need to leave your baby in someone else’s hands". Oti also told Richard: "Maybe you can say a prayer over her, I would really love that." He said he had "already said a prayer for her", and they embraced again while she became more emotional.
Richard then opened up about the loss of his former partner, David. He confessed to Oti: I miss him… He’s just left a massive hole in my life and I’m living my life around that loss."