Boy George’s close friend hits back at ‘vile’ response over record-breaking £500,000 I’m A Celebrity pay cheque-Lucy Norris-Entertainment – Metro

Boy George’s friend rushed to his defence amid pay cheque outrage (Picture: ITV/Shutterstock)

One of Boy George’s close friends has slammed the public for ‘vile’ comments over the singer’s record-breaking I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! pay cheque.

The Karma Chameleon hitmaker was reportedly offered £500,000 to appear as a jungle contestant, making him the highest-paid campmate ever to take part on the show.

Bagging more than the former holder of the position, Caitlyn Jenner is the last big name to have walked away with a sum close to the fee.

However, friend David Hodge defended the icon for ‘putting himself through the ringer’.

Speaking to Metro.co.uk, Boy George’s friend of 35 years said: ‘I mean, a lot has been made on about the fact that he’s been paid a lot of money for it.

‘But George has a lot of money. He doesn’t need it for that. He puts himself in positions where he wants to push himself in.

The pair have been friends for 35 years after David met him as a 17-year-old

‘It would have been easy for him in 1990, to sit back and rely on the money coming in from 75 million albums sold worldwide, he could have sat on that for the rest of his life, you know, and not had to work. But he has worked.

‘He’s done so much that he doesn’t really need to do anything financially and I think there’s something very truthful about that.

‘People have been so vile about it.’

Sharing insights into how the artist has reacted to bad press in the past, David insisted the singer ‘doesn’t care’.

‘It’s like he knows the truth, his friends know the truth. That’s all that needs to be known.’

The singer has been adding his own flare into camp and ruffling some political feathers (Picture: ITV/Shutterstock)

King of the jungle or not, he takes home the crown for highest paid campmate (Picture: ITV/Shutterstock)

Boy George has offered a foreword for Hodge’s new biography, The Boy Who Sat By the Window, and penned a song that detailed the pair’s relationship under the same title.

They first met when Hodge was 17 and a huge fan of the star.

Reminiscing over the moment he heard the news of his friend’s ambition to enter the jungle, he said: ‘Nothing surprises me about George. Nothing.

‘He’s just surprised me too much in the past with various things. If he got it into his head that he fancied doing it, why not?

‘He’s got nothing to lose. And if he’s not having a nice time, he’ll walk because he’s not there for any other reason.’

Sharing what people can expect from the megastar on the series, David ensured the public would get to see his ‘fun and naïve nature’.

‘George is really good fun, the best person to have to dinner party.

‘He’s got a temper if you cross him and will speak the truth, but he’s very forgiving.

‘I’ve had to stand up screaming matches with him but then the next day, we’ve just sat and laughed, he’s a very real person.’

David’s memoirs hit shelves earlier this year and tell the coming-of-age story of a little boy that became the Queen of Soho.

I’m A Celebrity airs tonight at 9pm on ITV.

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