13 November 2023 , 19:00
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Rumoured I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here 2023 contestant Nigel Farage has rejected the idea that he represents "small minded Englanders', calling the "accusations" as "just not true."
The former Brexit Party leader addressed his reputation as he prepares to join the likes of Josie Gibson and Jamie Lynn Spears in the new series of the ITV reality show, which will see another line-up of familiar faces fly to Queensland, Australia in the hope of becoming King or Queen of the Jungle.
Speculation began that Farage, 59, was one of these mystery celebrities has piqued following his spotting in Brisbane last week, after weeks of whispers he'd been joining the show. The controversial politician has now confirmed his I'm A Celebrity involvement, revealing that he wishes to "test" himself on the gritty reality series after finding "reasonable success" in "so many different" jobs.
Nigel Farage has revealed he hopes his I'm A Celebrity participation will change people's opinion of him (ITV)"I have been tested in quite this way," he told ITVX before entering the jungle. "It's such a mental test and maybe I will discover who I really am." Elsewhere in the interview, Farage explained he wants to "dispel" certain "misconceptions" about him during his time on I'm A Celeb, including the idea that he represents the "mean-spirited, small-minded, nasty, little Englander."
"All those accusations that have been flung at me over the years just aren't true," he insisted, after admitting, "I am hoping that those who hate me might hate me a little bit less afterwards." The former UKIP leader seven-time aspiring MP and went on to concede, however, that this a "gamble."
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Farage also acknowledged that he believes he'll likely be nominated to do Bushtucker Trials due to his status as one of British politics' most disdained figures. The right-wing populist, who was the leader of the 24-member UKIP contingent in the European Parliament, is best known for campaigning for Britain to leave the EU in 2016 and subsequently launching the Brexit Party, later renamed to the Reform Party, in 2019. He retired from politics in 2021 and currently works as a presenter on GB News.
Last month, Farage revealed that he had been offered to appear on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and was giving the proposal "very serious consideration." It's understood that the Eurosceptic had been reluctant, however, because of the show's ban on cigarettes and that his team had been in talks with I'm A Celeb producers about making an exception for their client.
"They’ve always offered me really quite substantial sums of money to do so, and I have always thought ‘No, it’s probably not the right thing for me to do,'" Farage told viewers of his GB News show in October. "Well, you’ve got about 10 million young people who watch that programme. These are people who don’t really watch the news or read newspapers, but they still care about the country they live in and their futures. And actually, in many ways, the futures of young people in Britain had been blighted.
"They haven’t got the same opportunities that their parents and grandparents had and they’d love to look for solutions." Looking at it from perspective, Farage decided that the ITVX reality show would be an ideal platform to reach a wider audience. "So in my mind, if I was to do it, I might be able to connect with that audience because goodness me they all watch I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!" he explained.