The first few days of this year’s I’m A Celebrity have been dominated by YouTube star Jack Maynard’s exit from the show.
Referring to tabloid reports that the 23-year-old had used “unacceptable language” in some of his old tweets, presenters Ant and Dec told viewers on Tuesday: “Due to circumstances outside camp, Jack has had to withdraw from the show.”
Viewers didn’t see how he left, or whether he even spoke to his campmates – but a report on today’s Mirror Online suggests that Jack’s departure itself would have been pretty dramatic.
A source told the tabloid: “Jack Maynard would have been woken at the crack of dawn and told he was leaving the I’m A Celebrity jungle after his management and ITV jointly decided he could no longer remain on the show.”
The article claims that Jack would’ve been told to report to the Bush Telegraph – “a wooden booth hooked up to cameras and microphones” – where he would’ve been informed of his fate.
And the blond star might not have even been given the chance to say goodbye to his jungle chums.
Apparently, “sources close to the show” told the Mirror Online that when similar incidents have cropped up in the past, a fellow contestant has been called into a booth, where a piece of laminated paper has lifted the lid on the surprise exit – and even given vague reasons why the person in question had to go.
Read more: Jack Maynard leaves I’m A Celebrity
That contestant has then been expected to share the news with the rest of the camp.
Sadly, the report says that in such circumstances, the ensuing conversation between the shocked group is usually filmed but “nearly always edited out of the final show”. Oh, to be a fly on the wall after Jack’s exit!
The star was due to arrive back in the UK this morning, and he’s sure to face a lot of questions from the media over newspaper reports that he sent racist and homophobic tweets.
In the meantime, a representative for Jack issued a statement to The Sun.
Read more: The humiliating tweet Amir Khan wrote about I’m A Celebrity contestants
It read: “In the last few days, Jack has been the subject of a succession of media stories which, given his position as a contestant on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! – filmed in the Australian jungle, with no contact with the outside world – he has been unable to respond to.
“Since it is only fair that everyone should be aware of any allegations made against them and should also have the right to defend themselves, it was agreed that it would be better to bring him out of the show.
“Jack agrees with this decision, which was made by his representatives and ITV, and thanks everyone who has supported him in the show this far.”
The star is said to have deleted the tweets in question.