I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here won’t be investigated by Ofcom, the TV watchdog has announced.
ITV once again faced complaints about the last series over its use of animals in trials.
80 official objections were lodged with Ofcom, but they have all been dismissed.
The TV regulator says that the complaints made “did not raise issues warranting investigation”.
The decision has been slammed by animal rights groups including PETA.
Its Director, Elisa Allen, told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “After nearly two decades, during which thousands of complaints have been logged with Ofcom, it’s beyond shameful that I’m a Celeb is still allowed to roll out the same tired, tacky, moronic, and – worse – cruel ‘challenges’ year after year.
“People are no longer wondering whether a celebrity will win plastic stars but rather whether the show will ever try something original, witty, or smart and lay off the animals who are terrified, abused, and even killed for a cheap, immature laugh.
“Accosting animals, no matter their shape or size, should be banned in the entertainment industry – and PETA urges the producers to scrap these disgusting stunts and replace them with real challenges suitable for this century.”
It’s not the first time that ITV have faced complaints over the trials, with hundreds complaining in 2015 when then contestant Ferne McCann faced eating a live spider.
A spokesperson for TV regulator Ofcom said at the time: “We assessed a number of complaints about the tasks given to contestants.
“However, these were in keeping with the well-established format of this reality series, and were unlikely to have exceeded the expectations of the audience.”
Although there’s been hundreds of complaints, they pale in significance to the 13 million viewers who watched the latest series.
I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here will return to ITV in the autumn.
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