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‘Matt Hancock eating kangaroo penis is no laughing matter,’ Peta warns I’m A Celebrity viewers ahead of launch on Sunday-Rachael O'Connor-Entertainment – Metro
Bushtucker trials are ‘shameful and not funny in the slightest,’ the group says.
Matt Hancock eating bugs and kangaroo parts in the jungle is ‘no laughing matter,’ animal rights group Peta has warned (Picture: PA/Rex/Metro)
Peta has warned that Matt Hancock being voted by the public to eat kangaroo penis on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! is not funny.
The animal rights group this week explosively called for Ant and Dec to resign from presenting the series as it accused them of having been ‘complicit in cruelty to animals’ for 20 years.
Last year, Peta had urged viewers to boycott the show, with the call for Ant and Dec’s resignation representing a marked step forward in the organisation’s fight to stop the show using animals.
In an open letter, the charity claimed viewers tuned into I’m A Celeb for the duo’s comedy and banter, and the drama between the celebrities, rather than ‘cruel’ bushtucker trials.
The 2022 series of I’m A Celebrity is due to begin on Sunday, November 6, and it seems there will be animals involved in the trials as with every other year, with ITV telling Metro.co.uk that ‘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.’
As for this year’s contestants, musician Boy George – who is a vegetarian – so far hasn’t mentioned whether he’ll take part in the animal-eating trials, but Peta hopes ‘that he’ll stick to being a friend to the animals and not eat any of their body parts or take part in any of the challenges that involve them.’
Then there’s Hancock, the former Minister forced to resign during the pandemic when he was caught breaking social distancing rules by kissing a colleague in his office.
The former Health Minister is likely to receive a lot of votes… (Picture: Rex / Getty / Metro.co.uk)
The MP – who has lost the Tory whip for joining the series – was widely mocked by the public when he announced he’d be taking part in I’m A Celeb, with plenty declaring they’d be voting for him to take part in every vile bushtucker trial possible.
In fact, the deputy chairman of Hancock’s local Conservative Association told the PA news agency he was actively ‘looking forward to him eating a kangaroo penis.’
However, Peta says, this is no laughing matter.
Speaking to Metro.co.uk, Peta UK’s Media and Communications Manager, Jennifer White, said they had seen the jokes about the former Minister being voted to eat kangaroo penis, but ‘it’s not funny in the slightest.’
‘We’ve seen a lot of jokes online from people saying they want [Hancock] to do a lot of the challenges, especially the eating challenges,’ she said.
‘We would say that forcing contestants to eat the body parts of animals who’ve been mercilessly gunned down is shameful and it’s not funny in the slightest.’
She detailed the way kangaroos are shot for the commercial industry, including for their meat and skin, and said some animals who are miss-shot could suffer for days before eventually dying.
‘The fact their body parts are then being served up to celebrities and MPs, it really isn’t a laughing matter or something people should find entertaining,’ she warned.
Celebrities – and MPs – are told to eat everything from fish eyes to lamb brains to kangaroo penis as part of the trials (Picture: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
It’s recently been reported that the MP may be ruled out of certain bushtucker trials as he claims he has trench foot, however that is unlikely to affect his eating skills.
Elsewhere in the interview, which took place before the open letter was published, White slammed I’m A Celeb producers who haven’t changed the show’s format n 20 years.
She said they could ‘easily come up with some other captivating tasks that don’t harm animals, but they’re choosing to drag their heels instead.’
‘Ant and Dec have ignored the backlash of the show thus far but hopefully after hearing from us directly it will become impossible then for them to ignore the backlash and the Ofcom complaints and everything.’
Ant and Dec have hosted the show for 20 years, with Peta pleading with them to step down to send a message about the use of animals on the show (Picture: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Responding to Peta’s letter, an ITV spokesperson told us: ‘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.
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‘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.’
I’m A Celebrity returns Sunday at 9pm on ITV.
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