TV Star Ian Hislop Turns Down I'm A Celebrity and Takes a Swipe at Nigel Farage

Hislop's Rejection

Popular TV star Ian Hislop has revealed that he turned down the opportunity to appear on this year's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! as he took a major swipe at former UKIP leader Nigel Farage. The satirist, 63, has been asked to participate in the hit ITV series multiple times in the past, but has always declined for various reasons.

Not Keen on Nigel

Speaking on Times Radio, Ian explained, "I mean, I have been asked a few years and I always think it's a sign of whether I'm washed up or not. It's whether I get the call. And I got it this year so it's probably all over. And there was a moment I thought, would I like to be around the campfire with Nigel? And then I thought, no."

Nigel's Performance in the Jungle

Ian also shared his thoughts on Nigel's performance in the jungle, stating, "And again, they're briefing at the moment that Nigel is very boring television and everything is very disappointing. And they'd much rather have more people from soap operas or influencers, or whatever. I think the idea that politicians will liven up your program may have just been deflated for good."

"Gaslighting" Controversy

This revelation comes after Nigel Farage faced backlash from I'm A Celebrity fans who accused him of "gaslighting" fellow campmate Josie Gibson. During a recent episode, both Nigel and Josie expressed their desire to participate in a Bushtucker trial, but Nigel quickly intervened, stating that Josie didn't need to do it. This led to a heated exchange between the two.

Nigel said, "Josie, you don't need to. You've got to go into this saying I'm not frightened of whatever they're going to throw at me. If you can't say...then you shouldn't do it, is my view." Josie responded, "I was saying I want to prove myself and you were going, 'You shouldn't do it, you shouldn't do it.'"

Despite the controversy, fellow campmate Sam Thompson showed support for Josie, saying, "Josie, if you want to do it, you do it." However, Josie ultimately decided not to participate, stating, "No, it's alright. Let Nige do it, he wants the air time."