A petition calling for Ant and Dec to distance themselves from I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! over claims the show abuses animals has reported been backed by thousands.
PETA has labelled the bushtucker trials that famous contestants have to take on as ‘tired, tacky and cruel’.
The animal rights charity says that 50,000 people have now signed its petition to stop animals being involved in the trials, The Hoot reports.
Celebs including Boy George, Sue Cleaver and Matt Hancock have all entered the Australian bush this week, battling it out to be crowned King or Queen of the Jungle.
The bushtucker trials they typically face involve being locked in confined spaces with thousands of bugs, crawling through rat and snake-infested tunnels, and even eating animal parts, like kangaroo testicles.
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Ant and Dec. Credit: ITV
PETA has now hit out at Ant and Dec for endorsing ‘animal abuse’ in an open letter to the Geordie presenter duo.
They wrote: “And and Dec. The longer you associate yourselves with I’m A Celebrity, the more you send the message to viewers that you think animal abuse is not only acceptable but also entertaining…
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“So please, hang up your hats and get yourselves out of there – for animals’ sake.”
#ImACeleb has been exploiting animals for 20 years – and it must end. We’re calling on @antanddec to stop being complicit in this cruelty and step down from the show. pic.twitter.com/5lSY43GfwS
On the petition page, they added: “During these challenges, celebrity participants perform ghastly acts such as sticking their hands or heads into tanks filled with insects, spiders, mice, rats, or fish; crawling into small spaces on top of masses of rats or insects; and even eating animals and their body parts.
“Killing animals off camera before contestants are pressured into eating them – or using them in tired, tacky, cruel stunts – must end.”
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PETA continued that animals are ‘not there by choice’ and ‘deserve better than to be used in irresponsible and inhumane stunts’.
A spokesperson for I’m A Celebrity said: “We are always fully transparent about our protocols and we have a very strict environmental plan in place on the show. As a production, we comply with all regional and national laws concerning the use of insects, animals and reptiles.
“Welfare and safety is always the primary priority on any of our programmes, and at any Bushtucker trial that features animals, we have qualified and experienced animal handlers on site at all times. We inform the RSPCA NSW of all of our activities on the show and they have an open invitation to attend the site at any time.
“We cannot stress enough that we have rigorous protocols in place to ensure that animals are handled safely at all times, before, during and after any filming has taken place, in compliance with all regional and national laws.”
Featured image: ITV
TV & Showbiz
Coronation Street legend Julie Goodyear diagnosed with dementia
Danny Jones
Coronation Street legend Julie Goodyear, who famously played the iconic character Bet Lynch for over 25 years, has sadly been diagnosed with dementia.
Issuing a statement via ITV, her husband Scott Brand confirmed that they had been given the “heartbreaking diagnosis” this week.
Goodyear, 81, played the legendary Rovers Return pub landlord for over two decades across two different spells on the show, starting in 1966 before leaving the show for good in 1995.
Brand told the outlet on Wednesday: “Unfortunately, Julie has been suffering forgetfulness for some time and we have been seeking medical advice and assistance, but we now know that there is no hope of a reversal in the situation – and that her condition will get progressively, and perhaps speedily, worse.”
Coronation Street's Julie Goodyear is suffering with dementia, her husband has revealed.https://t.co/4CZwt5KbGJ
— ITV Granada Reports (@GranadaReports) June 7, 2023
Julie Goodyear has been diagnosed with dementia at the age of 81.
He went on to say that he and Goodyear “have taken the decision to publicly announce the diagnosis as Julie still loves visiting friends and eating out”, noting that she inevitably gets recognised “and fans love to meet her – and she them – but she can get confused particularly if she is tired” and adding they “hope people will understand.”
The Manc soap star and household name is from Heywood in Rochdale and retired from acting in 2003 after making her final special appearance on the Coronation Street spin-off, After Hours.
Fans baffled as Arctic Monkeys spotted boozing in a Manchester Wetherspoons
Daisy Jackson
We all know by now that Arctic Monkeys were in Manchester over the weekend, with two sold-out shows at the Emirates Old Trafford cricket ground.
But what many people weren’t expecting is for the rockstars to pop up in a pretty well-known pub in the city centre.
And they didn’t pick some cool trendy craft beer bar – nope, these lads went for the cheapest option possible.
Two members of Arctic Monkeys were spotted nursing pints outside The Moon Under Water, of all places, between performing to 50,000-strong crowds.
Fans stopped to take pictures with bassist Nick O’Malley and guitarist Jamie Cook, as well as touring band member Tom Rowley, at the Wetherspoons pub on Deansgate.
People have all been pretty bemused by their choice of watering hole, unsurprisingly.
One person wrote: “You’re not telling me Arctic Monkeys are having a booze in the Moon Under The Water on Deansgate hahahaha.”
Another said: “Imagine bumping into some of the monkeys in a Wetherspoons hahaha.”
Someone else pointed out: “Biggest band in the country and they’re drinking carling in spoons.”
It’s also drawn comparisons to the iconic ‘Four lads in jeans’ meme.
It’s the second weird celebrity sighting this week, after Pink was spotted swinging her way around Total Ninja in Trafford Park at her daughter’s 12 birthday party.
Pink is about to perform two huge shows at the University of Bolton stadium in Greater Manchester.
Arctic Monkeys were pictured over a sunny weekend in Manchester, where they’d performed two gigs in Trafford.
The Sheffield band’s triumphant return will peak later this week when they perform in their hometown at Hillsborough Park.
Daisy Jackson -
8th November 2022 
