Dame Edna Everage has criticised \'I\'m A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!\' for alleged animal cruelty.
The housewife superstar - the alter ego of Barry Humphries - claimed the ITV reality show\'s Bushtucker Trials is "cruel" to the critters themselves, rather than the famous faces having to deal with them.
She voiced her opinion when she met former campmate Emily Atack, who came up close to nature when she had spiders and cockroaches poured on her head during her time in the Australian jungle.
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Speaking on new show \'Dame Edna Rules The Waves on New Year\'s Eve\', the \'Inbetweeners\' actress said: "They tipped creepy crawlies on me. It was cruel."
But Dame Edna quickly shot back: "Cruel? Cruel to the spiders I thought. Apparently, the cockroaches had to have counselling after that."
BBC One have unveiled plans for an "unforgettable" one-off special featuring the housewife superstar which will take place onboard her luxury yacht and feature celebrity guests and musical performances.
The outlandish lady also told viewers she was once approached to join \'I\'m A Celebrity\' but revealed she couldn\'t take part.
She explained: "It\'s because I wasn\'t a celebrity - I was a mega-star!"
Meanwhile, Dame Edna\'s comments come after nature show presenter Chris Packham was among those who campaigned for ITV to change its policy on live animals and insects in its trials.
Although they were still used in tasks, bosses did decide that only dead critters would be used in the eating challenges.
Speaking before this year\'s series, a source said: "Producers have been debating the use of live critters in the eating tasks for some time.
"Last year only beach worms were fed to the celebrities still alive but now there\'s a total ban. The increased sensitivity around the subject has become too hard to ignore."
1 May 2026 - 12:53 AM
