Please let it not be so… (Picture: REX/ITV/Getty)
I’m A Celebrity is reportedly sniffing around former Number 10 occupants to take part in the upcoming series.
The ITV reality show – which sees celebrities put through their paces in gruelling jungle tasks to earn basic amenities like food – is back on our screens in November this year.
It’s always a newsworthy occasion, and last year was even more so than usual as former health secretary Matt Hancock entered the jungle, in a move that shook fellow contestants and the country as a whole.
The disgraced MP ended up coming third in the series, behind Lioness and Queen of the Jungle Jill Scott.
The former MP pocketed £320,000 for his on-screen adventure, but the investment clearly paid off for the channel.
As a hotly-debated public figure after his controversial handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr Hancock attracted many viewers.
Matt Hancock entered the jungle last year, and irritatingly did quite well (Picture: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Could Liz Truss be the next politician to enter the jungle? (Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images)
2022 saw the highest-rated final for the ITV show since 2018, and the series as a whole averaged 11.1million viewers across all devices and platforms. Not bad going.
Now, it has been reported by The Sun that another politician – who is even an ex-Prime Minister, albeit from a historically short tenure – is being targeted to appear on the show.
That’s right, it’s 49-day former Prime Minister Liz Truss, who graced number 10 for before swiftly resigning after a truly shocking mini-Budget plan caused economists to drop their jaws to the floor and the pound to plummet.
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A source told the publication: ‘After seeing the effect of having former health secretary Matt Hancock on the show last year, bosses were keen to repeat the feat in the new series.
‘High-level politicians are virtually guaranteed to create controversy in the camp – which equates to compulsive viewing for fans at home.’
‘Having signed up Matt in 2022 and made an approach to Boris this year, jungle producers realise they have nothing to lose by targeting the biggest names in Westminster.’
A spokesman for ITV told the publication: ‘Any names suggested for I’m A Celebrity are speculation.’
This comes after it was also reported Boris Johnson had been offered a large sum of money to take part in the series, but turned it down.
Time will tell whether Ms Truss will appear on the show, but we’ll bet that if she does, a lettuce would probably last longer...
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