Chris Packham claims entire jungle sprayed with insecticide for I’m A Celeb...

I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! has been accused by naturalist Chris Packham of dousing the Australian jungle with insecticide to stop bugs from biting contestants.

Packham has alleged that an I’m A Celeb crew member told him: "Every day they would spray the entire jungle in that area with insecticide to kill any biting insects."

The TV presenter, who is back on BBC ‘s Autumnwatch next week, added: "Imagine what that is doing to the environment?

"So none of them were getting pestered by insects, they had to constantly spray the camp.

"It just gets worse and worse the more I learn about it.

"Someone that worked on it told me that,” he told The Mirror.

“When they were in the jungle none of them were scratching and itching or complaining about the insects.

"It’s really upsetting. It’s like a circus."

However, ITV, who released a first-look trailer of the upcoming show last week, has hit back at the allegations, saying: "This is categorically not true, as a production we do not spray the jungle or castle area with insecticide, we have a strict environmental plan in place."

Actor Shane Richie, who was a contestant when I’m a Celeb was filmed in a Welsh castle in 2020, has previously claimed on TV that he was stopped by producers from making nettle tea there because they were drenched in insecticide.

He said he had an armful of nettles and was about to go to the castle when he got called to the show’s telegraph room.

Asked by producers what he was doing, he replied: "’I’m hoping to make a cup of tea.’ They said, ‘Put them back, they’ve been sprayed with insecticide’."

I’m A Celeb... returns to ITV in November.