Nigel Farage’s ‘I’m A Celebrity’ appearance could haunt him

After days of speculation, Nigel Farage has finally confirmed that he has accepted ITV’s invitation to go into the jungle and join Ant and Dec and eleven fellow contestants on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!. It’s a decision he may come to regret.

Farage says he has been stoutly resisting offers to appear on the show since 2016, but has at last succumbed to their blandishments, chiefly because of the huge fee offered – reported to be up to £1.5 million. But this isn’t just about money: like many politicians, Farage is a showman and he says the show will give him a chance to ‘connect’ with the millions of young people who watch I’m a Celebrity but don’t watch TV news or read newspapers.

There’s no doubt that Farage has a chance to win over critics. While some of those who stood on the opposite side of the Brexit divide will never forgive Farage, he has undoubted ability and charisma, and a proven popular touch which has made him arguably the most influential and contentious public figure since Margaret Thatcher.