Nigel Farage experiment signals end to I’m A Celebrity and a farewell bid to dire 00s TV
One of the most divisive figures within the British political landscape was paid £1.5m to appear on a popular ITV show.
Nigel Farage, the man behind Brexit, was supposed to have a hard time, he was supposed to be the man we all united against, we’d force him to sit bushtucker trials every week, and then slowly he’d win us over for his ability to endure.
It’s the Matt Hancock blueprint. A widely unpopular figure due to his failures as health secretary during the global pandemic who went into the jungle and spent several weeks being punished by the public, before emerging with a new image – one that appears less harsh. He might not have won the jungle, but he got something more important, a slightly softer image in the minds of the public.
But it hasn’t yet worked with Farage.
‘Poor viewing figures’
Despite his record fee, he’s not drawn in figures. Perhaps a nod to where the British public is in the view of Brexit, of populism politics, perhaps a look at where the next general election is heading.
Just 7 million people watched the first episode this year, compared with 9 million in 2022. The drop in viewership shouldn’t be ignored. It looks like it could spark the end of the ITV show.
Matt Hancock was a massive draw for the public last year, people were angry, both his campmates and the public who wanted answers as to why he was even going into the jungle, his role during the pandemic (amid ongoing anger over Partygate) there was also his affair which had been exposed and splashed across the tabloids during a global health crisis.
Farage hasn’t made as much of an impact. Apart from two campmates, no one has challenged his politics and he’s a rather dull addition to the show.
Long-time hosts Ant and Dec seem to hit the nail on the head when they suggested there should be a ban on politicians. “I think we do a year without any politicians,” said Dec. “Agreed, agreed, agreed,” nodded Ant.
‘Dire 00s entertainment’
But a poor £1.5m investment in a divisive political figure, who appears to have turned the public off, isn’t the only issue facing the embattled show.
I’m a Celebrity has never looked more outdated, it’s the symbol of 00s entertainment that most of us agree should be archived. The casual animal cruelty, the encouragement of confrontation and the all-around meanness that plagued the 00s entertainment are still all there in the show. But the viewing figures – which continue to decline, show perhaps the public is ready to move on from this type of entertainment.
The show can either completely reboot itself or just accept the writing on the wall, put the show to bed and create something new.