I’m A Celebrity hosts Ant and Dec are facing backlash over jabs made towards campmate Reverend Richard Coles.
The ITV reality series have been back for over a week and has already proved a huge success with viewers as Richard, 62, grows his adoring fanbase.
But Ant and Dec may have got on the wrong side of some of them after a series of quips making fun of the Church of England priest.
This has resulted in 70 Ofcom complaints regarding their ‘references to the Bible and to the Christian faith’, the communications regulator told Metro.
During Richard and Maura Higgins first Bushtucker trial during Saturday’s episode the pair had to tuck into pig’s eyes, cockroaches, vomit fruit, sheep’s brain and more.
At the time Dec quipped ‘More tea vicar?’, and in the studio called the trial ‘unholy’. Ant then added ‘Bum-holey’.
But people’s discontent was not enough to deter the presenting duo from taking another jab in Tuesday night’s episode.
During one segment, the pair delivered a strange mock sermon to the backing of organ pipes.
‘It’s the start of a new day now and the first to wake up was Reverend Richard…’ Dec began.
Ant then chimed in: ‘And though the night before there had been darkness and a plague of insects had been visited upon him. But he had receiveth a small bounty that did taste of cheese. And now, praise be, he did rise again.’
Dec blithely summed up: ‘So basically you are saying Richard had a fright, got some crisps, then had a sleep and got out of bed?’
To which Ant responded in his mocking accent: ‘Yes my child.’
But they are risking the further wrath of viewers who have taken a liking to Richard, who was ordained in 2005 and retired from clerical duties in 2022.
In the same episode, Rev Richard had a touching conversation with fellow campmate Oti Mabuse as she emotionally opened up about the ‘hell’ she faced during the birth of her daughter, who was 10 weeks premature.
Richard then provided her with some comfort and spoke about the death of his partner David Coles in 2019, aged 53.
The celebrity vicar said: ‘I miss him. He’s just left a massive hole in my life and I’m living my life around that loss.’
Elsewhere, he amused viewers after having an interesting sex education conversation with influencer GK Barry, 25 who is dating footballer Ella Rutherford.
The pair had a candid conversation about their sexuality, when GK – real name Grace Keeling – asked if he found it ‘quite difficult being gay and doing that job?’
Richard said: ‘No, not at all.
‘I’ve never found it personally difficult at all. I’ve never given it a moment’s twinge of anxiety over whether God thought it was alright or not. That was fine.
‘But whether other people thought it was alright or not, well I’m happy to have that argument…’
As the conversation continued, it eventually circled around to the topic of scissoring which Richard admitted he had no clue about. But he did insist he was happy to keep it that way.
But that hasn’t stopped him from making his own cheeky comments. At one point GK asked him: ‘Who’s the most interesting person you’ve ever met?’
Eventually narrowing it down to whether he had ever met a Royal family member, Richard replied: ‘Great in bed…’ as he started laughing.
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! continues at 9pm on ITV1, STV and ITVX.
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