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I’m a Celeb is right to ban reality TV stars

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The show bosses at I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here reportedly dropped quite the bombshell this month - they do not want reality television stars to appear on the upcoming series.

Whether this will be the case remains to be seen. After all, those best known for stints on the likes of The Only Way Is Essex, Geordie Shore and Made In Chelsea have dominated I’m a Celeb, Celebrity Big Brother and similar shows in recent years.

Some argue that these popular figures have an unfair advantage going into these shows, because they are used to being in front of the camera regularly, knowing exactly how they wish to be portrayed in the media and how they wish to be perceived.

With the likes of Ferne McCann, Joey Essex and Vicky Pattison doing so well on I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here in recent years, you can just imagine their colleagues begging producers for a stint on the show, but, banning reality TV stars from these entertainment shows is a great move in my opinion.

While ‘constructed reality’ was once a new media, and one that interested and intrigued viewers, we now know the truth - very little of what we see on screen is real and events are overdramatised. You only need to look at this year’s Celebrity Big Brother to realise that when constructed reality stars go on entertainment shows, their actions can seem forced and pre-meditated.

Showmances dominate - remember when Ferne McCann and George Shelley had a will-they-won’t-they fling in the jungle? And you can’t tell me Marnie Simpson and Lewis Bloor, despite insistence from their shared management, didn’t know exactly what they were doing when they got together on CBB.

While this may be a viewing highlight for some, it takes the focus off of participants as individuals and dominates screen time that could be placed elsewhere.

In some cases, it’s good to see these people in more natural surroundings, but when things kick off it’s difficult to establish what’s real and what’s not.

With reality stars out of the way, will we have more natural (and hilarious) moments like John Lydon in the Ostrich pen, Vanessa Feltz’s shopping list chalk-on-the-dining-room-table meltdown, and David Gest’s incredible anecdotes.

So, before anyone suggests it, no, Gemma Collins should not go back in the jungle…

Let’s bring in some unpredictable familiar faces who just want to get on with it and enjoy their experience, not dominate screen time with crocodile tears and over-the-top tantrums.

(Image Credit: ITV)