I’m a celebrity… Get me out of here! has sparked controversy just a week into its final season, with 70 complaints lodged with Ofcom after presenters Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly made jokes referencing the Bible and Christianity.
The backlash began after the Reverend Richard Coles, former Strictly Come Dancing contestant and prominent Church of England figure, entered the jungle alongside Love Island star Maura Higgins.
During a food challenge involving Coles, 62, and Higgins, 34, Dec joked: “More tea, vicar?” in a nod to Coles’ management role.
Dec, 49, later described the trial as “ungodly”, to which Ant jokingly added: “Bum-holey.”
The humor intensified during Tuesday night’s episode when Ant, 49, delivered a mock sermon about Coles waking up in the camp.
As Dec narrated: “It is now the beginning of a new day, and the first to wake up was the Reverend Richard,” Ant interrupted, saying: “Although there had been darkness and an infestation of insects the night before… he did wake up “. again.’
I’m a celebrity… Get me out of here! has sparked controversy just a week into its final season, with 70 complaints lodged with Ofcom after presenters Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly made jokes referencing the Bible and Christianity.
The humor intensified during Tuesday night’s episode when Ant, 49, delivered a mock sermon about Coles waking up in camp.
While the sketch amused some viewers, others found it disrespectful, leading to formal complaints to Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator.
Neither Ant, Dec nor ITV have issued a public response.
An Ofcom spokesperson said: “We are assessing the complaints but have yet to decide whether to investigate or not.”
MailOnline has approached ITV for comment.
However, Coles himself also surprised viewers with candid moments.
In a conversation with influencer GK Barry (real name Grace Keeling), she asked him about the challenges of being religious and gay.
Coles confidently replied: ‘No, not at all. I have never given a moment’s anxiety about whether God thought it was right or not.
“Whether other people thought it was right or not, well, I’m happy to have that argument.”
And he added: “I wasn’t the first. Sometimes I look at documents from the early church or the church from the Middle Ages and I think… how gay!
While the sketch amused some viewers, others found it disrespectful, leading to formal complaints to Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator. Neither Ant nor Dec nor ITV have issued a public response.
Richard was ordained a priest in 2005 and met her future husband, fellow priest David Oldham. In 2010 they formed a civil partnership, but David tragically died in 2019 after battling alcoholism.
GK later admitted in the Bush Telegraph: “Never in a million years would I have thought I would get on better with a reverend.”
Coles continued to make waves when GK asked him if he had ever met a member of the royal family.
Richard cheekily replied: “Great in bed…” before bursting into laughter, leaving his campmates stunned.
Fans on social media were quick to react, with one X user asking: ‘Who has Richard from the royal family slept with?’ Have I missed something?!
Another posted: “Reverend Richard said a royal was good in bed,” while a third declared: “I need to know which royal he was talking about.”
Richard talked about what it feels like to be a gay man involved in the church.
The writer, presenter and priest, 62, got candid about his sexuality with new friend GK Barry during Monday night’s episode.
In a happier moment, Dec summed up Richard’s experience in the jungle: “So basically, you’re saying Richard got scared, ate some crisps, then slept and got out of bed?”
Ant, adopting a mocking religious tone, replied: “Yes, my daughter.”
Richard’s path from pop star to priesthood has fascinated his fans.
After The Communards, his synth-pop duo with Jimmy Somerville, disbanded in 1988, he converted to Roman Catholicism in 1991 before returning to the Church of England in 2001.
He was ordained a priest in 2005, earning a reputation as one of the UK’s most unconventional religious figures.