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The boss of ITV has defended Nigel Farage’s appearance in I’m A Celebrity! as a new poll suggests that the Reform UK leader was “personally responsible” for recent far-right riots.
In recent weeks, the right-wing MP came under intense scrutiny following a video he posted accusing the police of withholding the truth about the Southport knife attacks and repeated misinformation which claimed the suspect was under surveillance by security services.
As racist riots ensued across the country, a survey of 2,237 people by market research company Savanta, found 51 per cent of British voters held believed Farage to be personally accountable for the violence.
ITV has been criticised for platforming Farage in the jungle in its 2023 season, but the channel’s boss Kevin Lygo has defended its casting decision.
He told the Edinburgh TV festival: “I think it’s a very industry-focused judgmental attitude… it’s a very broad show… and people can make up their own minds, audiences are sophisticated now, they’re clever. They can see what’s going on most of the time.”
Farage clashed with contestants on Brexit and immigration as he finished third on the hit-TV show last year. He has since gone on to become a Member of Parliament for Clacton-on-Sea which he won based on a staunchly anti-immigration campaign.
Mr Lygo added that they would see if it is “a good idea” to have other politicians on the show which has also seen the likes of Nadine Dorries, Matthew Hancock and Edwina Currie.
“The audience is smart enough to make up their own mind,” Mr Lygo added. “Honestly, it wasn’t meant to offend anyone.”
At the height of the far-right riots earlier this month, Independent MP Zarah Sultana took to social media to criticise ITV.
“Nigel Farage was rehabilitated by ITV when it paid him £1.5m to appear on I’m A Celeb,” she wrote on X/Twitter. “He is also joint-second for most appearances on BBC Question Time. When I say the *entire* media class is complicit in the normalisation of Islamophobic & anti-migrant rhetoric, I mean it.”
Another post, reacting to his win in Clacton-on-Sea, read: “From now on, no politicians should be allowed on reality TV. It was morally corrupt of I’m A Celeb to have Farage on and rebrand him as “an alright guy, when you get down to it”.”
Farage was reportedly paid £1.5m to appear on I’m a Celebrity last year, despite protests from people on social media. The 60-year-old clashed with producers over his appearance, and said bosses censored him and reduced his air time.
