Joe and Jordan in the I'm A Celebrity eating trials
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ITV blasted for using animals ‘that may well be endangered’ in I’m A Celebrity eating trial

Celebs have feasted on a number of exotic species

ITV has been blasted for the animals it used in an I’m A Celebrity South Africa eating trial earlier on in the series.

A animal welfare charity has hit out against the show for serving up reportedly near-extinct species to its celeb contestants.

The all-star series of has featured some pretty brutal eating trials. But they may have some more sinister consequences, an animal charity has now claimed.

I'm A Celebrity eating trial
I’m A Celebrity South Africa has featured some disgusting eating and drinking trials (Credit: ITV)

I’m A Celebrity South Africa eating trials blasted

The challenges have left a particularly bad taste in the mouth of Network for Animals. A spokesperson for the animal welfare organisation recently told The Sun: “It sends out a really bad message that it’s okay to eat wild animals that may well be endangered.”

You’re going to encourage them to be wiped out.

Indeed, challenges like the one faced by Jordan Banjo and Janice Dickinson used creatures such as Nguni cattle and hartebeest. Nguni cattle are an endangered breed with only around 1,000 registered breeding animals currently remaining. It is uncertain what precise subspecies of hartebeest were eaten, however, several are listed as critically endangered.

Eating trial
Janice Dickinson had to eat hartebeest stomach (Credit: ITV)

‘It isn’t alright’

“If your contestants or your viewers see them eating hartebeest they’re going to think it’s alright, but it isn’t alright. You’re dealing with endangered species and you’re encouraging people to kill and eat them for the pot and you mustn’t do that. It’s encouraging something that is to the overall determinant of the animals because you’re going to encourage them to be wiped out,” the rep claimed.

ED! has contacted ITV for comment on this story.

Read More: Joe Swash reveals reason he and wife Stacey Solomon turned down doing I’m A Celebrity… South Africa together

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Gabrielle Cracknell
Freelance Writer