It was just over a year ago when former Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirmed he would be taking part in the reality show ‘I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!’ At the time, the conservative MP had already been removed from his government position as it turned out that he violated the rules of the pandemic by kissing a colleague on the mouth.

The politician had received strong criticism not only for the incident but also for the general management of the pandemic in the Johnson government. He was paid £320,000 for his participation, although he claimed he “wants to try and prove who he really is”.

Another British political figure named Nigel Farage wants to make a corresponding attempt. As he stated when confirming his participation, the reality show “has a large youth audience that deserves to be addressed.”

“Lately I’ve been messing around with TikTok and you’ll be surprised what I’m going to say, but a lot of young people out there are showing interest in what I have to say,” he added.

Backlash and risk of boycott for his exorbitant fee

But in addition to the “social” status of his participation in the survival reality show, the amount of money offered by the ITV channel, amounting to 1.5 million pounds, must have played an important role in his decision.

It’s the most money a contestant has received in the history of the show, which has been set in the Australian jungle for 22 seasons. However, the payment of the Brexit pioneer and former UKIP and Brexit Party leader has not remained idle.

The Independent, for example, reports that fanatical viewers of ‘I’m a Celeb’ – as it is often referred to – are threatening a boycott. But artistic personalities of Britain have been disturbed by the participation. Famous comedian London Hughes said she was shocked by the channel’s choice to show “a racist as a form of entertainment”. While the comedian and journalist Danny Baker wrote that his participation proved how “insensitive, dumb, stupidly provocative and morally bankrupt the ITV network is”.

It should be mentioned that the private British channel ITV, according to reports, has been approaching the former politician and presenter of the new GB News channel since 2016, offering him deals worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.

The 59-year-old Farage has been accused, for years, of inciting xenophobia and extreme right-wing views. However, in the video that introduces himself, he appears confident that he will succeed as “he is used to interacting with snakes and other reptiles either in the European Parliament or in Westminster”. It remains to be seen what the reactions from the public will be at the start of the game on Sunday, November 19.