Michael Buerk has said I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! contestants were told non-sexual nudity and “reciprocated” sexual behaviour were OK, but that masturbation and “class-A swearing” were out.
The veteran newsreader and journalist said producers on last year’s series of the ITV reality show had a list of things that were inappropriate, which also included bullying, “nonconsensual touching”, homophobia and harming the local wildlife.
Writing in the Radio Times, Burke said it had taken a large paycheque to persuade him to appear on the 14th series of I’m a Celebrity … which involves stranding a collection of celebrities in the jungle and putting them through various trials in order to win perks such as food to supplement basic rations. Buerk lost 8kg during his three weeks on the show, and says the experience was akin to being imprisoned.
He said: “The format works on techniques perfected by the Gestapo and the KGB. The ‘jungle’ is part prison camp, part torture centre, part laboratory experiment in social anthropology; cruelty with its tongue in its cheek, staged at vast expense (and huge profit) for the amusement of millions.”
Buerk became the third person to be voted off the 14th series of I’m a Celebrity … which also featured Edwina Currie, Craig Charles, former footballer Jimmy Bullard and the eventual winner, superbike champion Carl Fogarty.
The series has continued to be a ratings hit for ITV, with last year’s final attracting more than 11 million viewers.
Buerk said his co-stars were largely unaware of who Currie was, or that she had had an affair with John Major before he became prime minister.
Buerk said he doesn’t like reality TV, but had begun to enjoy being a celebrity: “After half a century on television, I’ve found myself famous overnight. For no good reason (which after all is the main qualification these days), I am, apparently, a ‘celebrity’ … become something, someone, I have long affected to despise. Even worse, I am rather enjoying it.”
