I’m a Celeb viewers could be forgiven for leaping behind their sofas last night after Nigel Farage bared his chest and sang “I’m Too Sexy For My Shirt”.
The former Ukip leader, 59, stripped off his shirt and sang the 1991 Right Said Fred classic in front of shocked jungle campmates, just hours after his Brexit rival Fred Sirieix was voted off the show.
Farage’s participation on the popular ITV reality series has been highly divisive, with some viewers threatening to boycott the show over his inclusion.
ITV figures show that during its first episode of the 2023 series, the programme lost two million viewers on last year, with some commentators attributing the fall in numbers to the controversy surrounding Farage’s casting on the show.
Farage, who is known for espousing right-wing views, has previously been accused of inciting xenophobia. During his time in the jungle, Farage has found himself involved in several heated arguments with his fellow campmates.
First Dates star Sirieix became infuriated when he confronted Farage over what he described as a “shameful” 2016 Brexit poster depicting a line of desperate refugees trying to reach Europe under the headline “Breaking Point”.
Sirieix told Farage the poster “demonised migrants”.
In a lighter moment captured during Thursday’s episode of the show, Farage unbuttoned his top during a karaoke session, as the remaining contestants enjoyed a night out at The Jungle Arms pub.
Speaking in the Bush Telegraph, Farage remarked that “you gotta get your shirt off” when singing the Right Said Fred hit.
Commenting on his karaoke performance, EastEnders star Danielle Harold said she was thankful to have witnessed that moment, while JLS’s Marvin Humes said it was “brilliant”.
Nigel Farage on ‘I’m a Celeb’— (Shutterstock / ITV)
During his time on the reality TV show, Farage has been keen to get involved in the grisly Bushtucker Trials because, in his words, the challenges take up “25 per cent” of the air time of each episode.
In his first challenge, the politician – who has reportedly been paid £1.5m to appear in the series – kept a straight face as he tucked into a pizza topped with a cow’s teat and a camel’s udder.
Ahead of the season premiere, however, Farage revealed his health issues would prevent him from participating in some of the show’s more physical challenges.
“Anything involving weightlifting, I’d be out because I’ve obviously had some quite serious physical injuries and neck reconstructions and goodness knows what else,” he told The Sun.
Farage suffered a punctured lung, two chipped vertebrae, several fractured ribs and a fractured sternum, after he was involved in a plane crash before the 2010 general election.
Find out who was eliminated from I’m a Celebrity… on Thursday night’s episode, here.
I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! airs Sunday to Friday at 9pm and Saturday at 9.30pm on ITV.
