Tony Blackburn didn’t hold back in expressing how much he despises watching I’m A Celebrity… South Africa.
The radio DJ, 80, won the inaugural season of the survival show’s original edition in 2002, but has now condemned the show’s spin-off as ‘unpleasant’ after Diversity singer Jordan Banjo had to eat lamb’s testicles and other disgusting delicacies as part of a Bushtucker Trial.
‘I enjoyed doing the show and I hate to complain, but I was watching it last night and it’s absolutely dreadful,’ she stated, clearly disgusted.
‘Eating bits of penis is revolting. I don’t think that is entertainment. I can’t watch it. I turn away. I don’t want to see celebrities vomiting on TV, especially after eating antelopes.’
The former Top of the Pops host, who is a vegetarian, went on to add to The Sun that he is not ‘preaching’ against eating meat, but claimed that bosses of the ITV mainstay do not understand where the charm lies within the series.
He added: ‘I don’t preach vegetarianism, people can do what they want but we’ve seen it all before, it’s a bit old hat now and the shock value is not there anymore. Last night he swallowed a pig’s bollock and said he could feel the hairs – it’s awful.’
In a final slam dunk to the show’s creators, he added: ‘This is what the producers don’t quite understand. I think that the strength of the programme is watching how people react to each other, that’s the fun of it.’
Tony, who battled in the Australian jungle with late socialite Tara Palmer-Tomkinson and musician Darren Day, was also convinced that if asked, he would decline an offer to return to the programme, and stated that the majority of the other victors feel the same way.
‘I’m 80 years old now but if they did ask me to take part I’d say no, I wouldn’t want to do it again. I’m talking to one or two other people who won it and I don’t think most of them would.’
Tony also expressed his ideas on Twitter earlier this week and solicited feedback from his fans.
He wrote: ‘Watching I’m A Celebrity South Africa and am wondering if watching celebrities eating disgusting things is really entertainment, this has all been done before and probably enough now.’
Former campmates include Coronation Street actress Helen Flanagan, 2017 winner Georgia ‘Toff’ Toffolo, and Happy Mondays vocalist Shaun Ryder compete in South Africa to become the inaugural I’m A Celeb Legend.
Rather than the typical live programme, the new season was pre-recorded, and Ant and Dec are back in the presenting chair.
Watching @imacelebrity South Africa and am wondering if watching celebrities eating disgusting things is really entertainment, this has all been done before and probably enough now.What do you think.
— Tony Blackburn (@tonyblackburn) April 25, 2023
Despite the fact that it premiered on Monday, the season has already had its share of dramatic moments, like the aforementioned BushTucker trial, which left Tony weak at the knees.
Jordan and supermodel Janice Dickinson had to eat a nasty assortment of animal body parts throughout the trial, which left them both choking as they chomped down on items like anuses.
Another scene that had fans buzzing was the surprising return of Gillian McKeith, who initially appeared in the blockbuster series in 2010 and is already smuggling contraband into the jungle, and Janice, who also stunned viewers by savaging fellow supermodel Naomi Campbell.
Watch I’m A Celebrity… South Africa on ITV and ITVX.
Source My Celebrity Life.
