Chris Packham has penned an open letter to the presenters of ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!’, Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, addressing ‘the ongoing appalling abuse of animals.’ The 62-year-old wildlife TV presenter and conservationist noted that he has attempted to convey his concerns politely in previous letters, but his patience has now ‘run thin.’
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, he shared his latest two-page letter intended to urge the Geordie hosts to alter the format of the ITV series, which is filmed in Australia. Part of the introduction read: ‘I’m A Celebrity remains a grotesque blot on the reputations of both yourselves and ITV.
‘Its continued exploitation of animals for entertainment is an anachronistic embarrassment and betrays a dangerous disconnect between a world increasingly concerned with an environmental crisis and a reckless and marginalised part of the media who doesn’t appear to give a s**t.’
He then claimed that RSPCA, of which he is president, has received 17,000 complaints about their ‘wilful abuse of animals.’ ‘I’m A Celebrity’ often involves animals in bushtucker trials, and this is something Chris disagrees with.