I’m A Celebrity fans ‘gutted’ at lack of winner diversity in 22-year history-Ruth Lawes-Entertainment – Metro

Danny Jones is the latest in a long history of white male winners on I’m A Celebrity (Picture: Rex)

I’m A Celebrity viewers have expressed their disappointment another white star has won the long-running ITV reality show.

On Sunday, McFly’s Danny Jones, 38, was crowned king of the jungle, making him the 14th white man to achieve the honour in the show’s 22 year history.

In fact, the I’m A Celebrity main show has never been won by a person of colour. Last year, Myleene Klass, who is mixed race with a Filpina mother and Austrian father, won the all-stars spin-off I’m A Celebrity South Africa.

Viewers on X said they were ‘gutted’ when they were once again left with an all-white final three – Danny, Coleen Rooney and Reverend Richard Coles – after Dancing On Ice star Oti Mabuse was voted out.

It is entirely down to the public who remains in the jungle; the celebrity or celebrities with the fewest votes are eliminated. In the final, the star with the most votes wins.

Among them was @AAngels05, who wrote alongisde a picture of Oti: ‘Gutted. The way I wanted this absolute gem to win the game & be the first ever Black winner of I’m A Celebrity.

There have been 14 white male winners in total, including Joe Swash (Picture: Brian Cassey/REX/Shutterstock)

‘Oti should be so proud of herself for showing all of her sides & becoming a brilliant role model to Black kids showing them how far they too can come.’

Echoing their sentiment, @putasinghonit said: ’22 years of the show, and 22 white winners. its giving rice and beans #imaceleb.’

@stanleymwc commented: ‘It really does feel like the only criteria for winning #ImACeleb is being a “cheeky” inoffensive white man in his 30s.’

@DeanMSimons also complained: ‘Yet another all white final :/ #Imaceleb.’

ITV viewers have pointed out the lack of diversity in the winners (Picture: REX/Shutterstock)

Tony Blackburn was the first ever winner of I’m A Celebrity (Picture: Cameron Laird/REX/Shutterstock)

@melvinwpeters added: ‘A black person has never won #ImACeleb Great Britain still has a race issue.’

Love Island has also been called out for its lack of diversity with its former star Priya Gopaldas pointing out its lack of Asian representation.

In 2023, she told Metro: ‘Having never seen it before my season, I hadn’t realised just how much Love Island lacks the appropriate diversity.

‘Asians make up the second biggest ethnic group in England and Wales (9.3%) following Caucasians (81.7%), followed by Black/African/Caribbean (2.5%), and yet the Asian population is very rarely seen on the show.’

Fans were disappointed Oti did not make it to the final three (Picture: James Gourley/ITV/Shutterstock)

She added: ‘While filming, I didn’t really think about the fact that I was the only Indian woman in the villa at that time. I didn’t grow up around much diversity, so it was something I was familiar with.’

‘But seeing the initial line-up of women, in the two years since, has left me feeling disappointed. I don’t know if that’s because not enough Asian contestants apply, or not.’

In 2022, ITV launched its Diversity Commissioning Fund, reserving £80 million over three years to ‘drive change towards racial and disability equity’.

Under its diversity, equity and inclusion programme, it aims to have 20% people of colour at its ‘all colleagues’ level and 15% in senior positions.

Metro has contacted ITV for comment.

I’m A Celebrity is available to stream on ITVX.

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