Sam Thompson, this year’s winner of I’m a Celeb, “didn’t have a clue” about Nigel Farage’s record-breaking fees for participating on the show.
Thompson, 31, was crowned King of The Jungle during the finale on 10 December, rounding out another season of Bushtucker-filled fun in the Australian wilderness.
The winner was decided by an audience vote, with over 50 per cent of viewers picking Thompson over his fellow campmates, professional heavyweight boxer Tony Bellew and Farage, the former Ukip and Brexit party leader.
In his first interview since returning to London from Australia, Thompson admitted he had no idea Farage, 59, had been paid £1.5m for his appearance on I’m a Celeb, adding he would have done the show for free.
“Was he? Bloody hell! I didn’t have a clue,” the former Made in Chelsea star told The Times, when he learned how much Farage made from his stint on the show. “You could buy five houses for that!”
Farage’s reported fees would make him the highest-paid I’m a Celeb contestant in the show’s 23-season history. Before Farage’s controversial signing, Noel Edmonds was the highest-paid campmate, earning £600,000 from his 2018 appearance.
Former Olympic swimmer Caitlyn Jenner, football manager Harry Redknapp, and Culture Club singer Boy George were all reportedly paid £500.000 for their respective stints in the jungle camp.
Sam Thompson greeted by Zara McDermott as he arrives in London after I'm a Celeb victory— (PA)
Thompson – a self-confessed I’m a Celeb megafan– quipped he would have “paid them to be on” the hit ITV series, adding: “Mate, I would have done it for anything! I would have been a very, very easy negotiation. I would have paid them to be on it.“
The show’s eventual winner, Thompson previously described being on I’m a Celeb as “a dream”.
“It was an absolute resounding ‘yes’ when I got approached. In fact, they didn’t even need to ask! I am a huge fan of the show,” he told ITV, after this year’s celebrity line-up was confirmed.
Elsewhere in the new interview, Thompson said he avoided clashing with Farage, who clashed with First Dates star Fred Sirieix and YouTuber Nella Rose over Brexit, by avoiding discussions about politics altogether.
Instead, Thompson said, “I just went down to the creek to start talking about Harry Potter.”
“I did a video before I went in, being like, ‘I really hope there’s no politicians, because I can’t get involved in any of their conversations. I just don’t know enough about the subject.’ So when [Farage] came in, I was I was like, ‘Oh my God!’” Thompson explained.
When asked whether he recognised the GB News host, Thompson replied: “Absolutely! There’d been a lot of chatter beforehand and you dial into a few things but him as a person, I had no idea.
“He’s a really fascinating guy, but I’m not a combative person. The moment they started talking about politics, I just went down to the creek to start talking about Harry Potter,” he added.
Thompson, who is dating Love Island alum Zara McDermott, also said his own reasons for appearing on the show were not tied to money or possibly dancing his career. calling his experience “a bucket-list dream”.
Nigel Farage arrives at Heathrow Airport after taking part in the ITV series— (PA Wire)
“It wasn’t monetary, or a career move,” he told the newspaper. “I genuinely wanted to go and eat camel’s penis. I wanted to meet [presenters] Ant [McPartlin] and Dec Donnelly), they’re my heroes, the most iconic people of my life.
“Even though there were times where I was a bit slower or more tired, I never had a down day because I’d remember I was in the jungle and be happy again.
“The only issue I really had was that I was really, really energetic and I hoped I wasn’t annoying people with that,” Thompson added.
Thompson’s sunny disposition struck a chord with fans from the very first episode, with the podcast host becoming an early favourite to win the reality series.
