As we all know 'I'm a Celebrity Get Me out Of Here' is a veritable 'Who's That?' of contemporary TV which nevertheless seems to capture millions of viewers in the UK on its annual airing. Since its first broadcast in 2002, the use of animals and insects has been an integral part of the show. It seems however that in the fourteen years it has been on air, it has failed to develop and mature into a show that promotes wildlife in a responsible manner, instead subjecting animals to cruel mistreatment and suffering. In spite of claims that the show works alongside experts to ensure they are abiding by local animal rights legislation, it is clear to see that they are tiptoeing very close to the boundaries of what is acceptable.

The animal rights organisation PETA, stated how 'Time and time again, the programme has shown a complete disregard for sentient life and a lack of creativity, evidenced by the fact that it has repeated the same tacky and inhumane stunts for more than a decade.' The TV presenter and naturalist Chris Packham, eloquently summarised the other issues with the use and abuse of animals on the show, stating how "animals such as snakes, spiders, crocodiles, rats and many invertebrates are already misunderstood and thus unfortunately vilified, despite the incredibly important roles they play in the world’s ecosystems and our lives. By orchestrating a fear of them among your contestants, I’m afraid you’re reinforcing and exaggerating a terrible ignorance and intolerance of these remarkable animals. What particularly frustrates me is that this counters and undoes all the education that I and my colleagues strive to achieve in our natural history programmes.'