Chris Packham wants I'm A Celebrity bosses to ditch 'medieval' animal tasks

Chris Packham has called on ‘I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!’ bosses to stop using animals in its Bushtucker Trials.

The ‘Autumnwatch’ presenter slammed the ITV reality show - which is currently airing nightly with contestants such as ex BBC Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles, ‘Corrie’ star Sue Cleaver and royal ex rugby player Mike Tindall - and labelled its approach to animals “medieval”, while Ant and Dec have faced calls to resign over the issue.

Now, the 61-year-old broadcaster has told the Daily Star newspaper: “But you don’t need to abuse animals - it’s medieval. My views on ‘I’m A Celebrity’ are focussed on the way they treat animals on the programme.

“I’m very unhappy with the way they abuse animals. They stereotype them - that’s not helpful when I’m spending a good proportion of my time trying to get people to develop a deep affinity for the natural world so they will help me look after it.”

Chris branded the old “animals for entertainment” schtick “lazy thinking” and a contrast to what his naturalist work is all about.

He continued: “I don’t need them to demonising spiders, snakes, cockroaches and kangaroo testes. From my point of view, the programme needs to be reformed - kick off the animal stuff.

“We don’t expect that circus. Animals exploited for entertainment - that’s so old school, it’s embarrassing.

“It’s lazy thinking. Everything needs to evolve apart from ‘I’m A Celebrity’ by the looks of it.”

Chris believes the return to the Australian jungle - after two years filming in north Wales’ Gwrych Castle due to COVID-19 restrictions - was a chance to “restructure '' the show, which also came under fire for casting the disgraced former health secretary Matt Hancock.

He added: “I don’t know what ITV are thinking. It was an opportunity to restructure the programme. Keep it entertaining, keep the viewers - I’m sure the people at ITV have the capacity to do that - they’re the kings of light entertainment.”

In a previous statement after criticism from charity PETA, ITV 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. "