9 months ago
Chris Packham has deed retired astatine Ant and Dec for encouraging nan exploitation of animals connected I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!
The Springwatch presenter, 62, shared an unfastened missive pinch nan presenters connected X, formerly Twitter, connected Monday successful which he branded their deed ITV show a 'grotesque blot connected their reputations'.
Chris, who has agelong criticised nan show, went connected to telephone retired nan Geordie duo for not replying to his erstwhile correspondence, prompting a much 'frank and forthright' tone.
He began his note: 'Dear Ant and Dec, I dream you are some successful bully health. I person written to you earlier but you person ne'er replied truthful I thought I'd constitute again. My letters were polite, reasonable and constructive. This clip I'II beryllium a small much frank and forthright.
'I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here' remains a grotesque blot connected nan reputations of some yourselves and ITV. Its continued exploitation of animals for intermezo is an anachronistic embarrassment and betrays a vulnerable disconnect betwixt a world progressively concerned pinch an biology crisis, and a reckless and marginalised portion of nan media which doesn't look to springiness a s**t.'
Chris Packham has deed retired astatine Ant and Dec for encouraging nan exploitation of animals connected I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! calling nan show a 'blot connected their reputations'
Chris, who has agelong criticised nan show, went connected to telephone retired nan Geordie duo for not replying to his erstwhile correspondence, prompting a much 'frank and forthright' tone
Chris continued: 'I constitute successful my ain capacity, not arsenic nan President of nan RSPCA, but I tin show you that past twelvemonth nan kindness received 17000 complaints astir your wilful maltreatment of animals and nan reinforcement of antagonistic stereotypes.
'I and each those people, galore of whom I person nary uncertainty will beryllium fans of yours and of nan activity you person done and do, are sick of your perceived disregard for animal use and nan measurement that we consciousness astir it.
'You whitethorn spot small aliases nary relationship betwixt nan world extermination arena that humans are precipitating and IACGMOOH [I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!] but its each astir attitudes and education.
'Without a basal respect for life, each life, it is difficult for those of america who attraction to bring capable group connected committee to initiate basal action to protect and actively reconstruct nan worlds wildlife.
'I walk my life trying to engender that respect, your programme recklessly countermands that, and what's perfectly pitiful, is that it does it for laughs. Just for amusement.
'Twenty 8 percent of nan worlds monitored type are threatened pinch extinction. Is that funny? Is that a laugh?
'Well possibly you conscionable don't care? But Declan, successful 2019 I asked you to please deliberation astir really your girl will comprehend your actions arsenic she grows into a world progressively devoid of wildlife... What did she say?
'That was 4 years ago, what is she saying now, alert I'm judge that her early is earnestly imperilled by ambiance breakdown and biodiversity loss?'
Chris revealed he was moving retired of patience arsenic he deed retired astatine nan 'appalling' animal maltreatment being shown nightly astatine 9pm connected ITV
The Springwatch presenter, 62, shared an unfastened missive pinch nan presenters connected X, formerly Twitter, connected Monday successful which he branded their deed ITV show 'embarrassing'
Chris continued connected a 2nd page: 'But it's besides astir money isn't it. In March nan TV transmission and on-demand work reported workplace gross of much than £2b and I'm told that IACGMOOH is nan biggest azygous banker for ITV. A Google hunt besides suggests that your highest paid subordinate this twelvemonth will person £1.5 million. Speculative figures for your ain net are besides wide published.
'But successful November 2022 a highest of 10 cardinal , and mean of 9.1 million, watched nan motorboat episode. This twelvemonth that dipped to a highest of 7.8 million, and an mean of conscionable 7 million ummmm, possibly your viewers request a alteration of format... so...
'Look astatine nan world, perceive to nan voices of concern, publication nan penning connected nan wall. Circuses person gone, dancing bears person gone, cock and canine fighting are nan sad sphere of psychopathic criminals... we person nary performing dolphins successful nan UK and nary chimpanzees dressed up for beverage time.
'The sadistic exploitation of wildlife for gratuitous intermezo connected your programme continues to harm nan awesome estimation of nan UK arsenic a 'nation of animal lovers'
'To conclude, really astir you denote now that from 2024 location will beryllium nary much maltreatment of animals for entertainment; that alternatively location will beryllium an acquisition constituent which will observe wildlife and its conservation; that a percent of nan programmes profits will spell to proactive applicable conservation, and that you will coming a programme to item that activity (I'll indebtedness you my binoculars) and that you will some work together to beryllium ambassadors and influencers for salient wildlife charities? Yours Chris Packham.'
MailOnline has contacted Ant and Dec's representatives for comment.
Chris' Springwatch co-host and stepdaughter Megan McCubbin has besides deed out astatine nan programme.
The BBC presenter claimed that it is 'unacceptable' to use animals, insects and bugs successful nan tests and called upon Ant and Dec to alteration things.
Speaking astir nan show's animal welfare, she said: 'They're not strict capable successful my opinion.
'Animals are location to beryllium marvelled astatine to admit and respect but to person them successful this capacity successful intermezo and a batch of nan connection utilized successful these tests is rather negative.
'I'm not a instrumentality of nan show, I don't watch it and I won't until they drastically alteration things.
'You tin do awesome trials, you tin do adventures things and crazy daredevil experiences without involving animals, particularly successful a antagonistic way.
'I dream we've gone past that constituent but we're still moving connected it, aren't we.'
Crushed: The show - which is filmed successful Australia astatine Springbrook National Park - has seen animals 'dropped, thrown, handled roughly, chased and crushed', nan RSPCA reports
The show - which is filmed successful Australia astatine Springbrook National Park successful Murwillumbah, New South Wales - has besides travel nether occurrence from RSPCA.
The animal use kindness has called for viewers to kick to Ofcom successful a bid to extremity nan usage of specified creatures.
Organisers of a caller run declare animals person been 'dropped, thrown, handled roughly, chased and crushed' since nan programme first aired successful 2002.
They said: 'With our erstwhile calls for alteration ignored, we’re much concerned than ever astir nan usage of unrecorded animals connected nan show and nan illustration it sets for viewers.
'The show's messaging and nan imaginable to punctual group to effort and transcript nan 'bushtucker trials' astatine location for intermezo is besides worrying.
'We consciousness that deliberately portraying definite type arsenic nasty aliases frightening aliases arsenic objects that tin beryllium utilized purely for intermezo alternatively than sentient, surviving creatures sends retired wholly nan incorrect message.
'While we understand that I’m a Celeb is simply a celebrated shape of entertainment, we're only asking producers to extremity utilizing surviving creatures successful this capacity.'
However, I'm A Celebrity bosses insist they comply pinch each rules and regulations astir nan usage of animals.
An ITV spokesperson told MailOnline: 'We are ever afloat transparent astir our protocols and we person a very strict biology scheme successful spot connected nan show.
'As a production, we comply pinch each location and nationalist laws concerning nan usage of insects, animals and reptiles.
'Welfare and information is ever nan superior privilege connected immoderate of our programmes, and astatine immoderate Bushtucker proceedings that features animals, we person qualified and knowledgeable animal handlers connected tract astatine each times.'
Chris' Springwatch co-host and stepdaughter Megan McCubbin has besides deed retired astatine nan programme, calling it 'unacceptable'
They continued: 'We pass nan RSPCA NSW of each of our activities connected nan show and they person an unfastened invitation to be nan tract astatine immoderate time.
'We cannot accent capable that we person rigorous protocols successful spot to guarantee that animals are handled safely astatine each times, before, during and aft immoderate filming has taken place, successful compliance pinch each location and nationalist laws.'
Last year, nan show received a grounds number of complaints complete nan usage of unrecorded animals successful its Bushtucker Trials.
The RSPCA received 17,000 complaints from viewers complete animals being utilized successful nan challenges.
