'Cruel and disgusting! What's next, a MOUSE?' ITV faces Ofcom probe as more than 600 viewers complain at Ferne McCann eating a huge LIVE spider during the I'm A Celebrity final

  • Contestant Ferne McCann, 25, was filmed eating a live spider during trial
  • As the spider reared up inside the glass the reality star began screaming
  • Viewers were left aghast at 'cruel' challenge, writing of disgust on Twitter
  • It has prompted 694 complaints to Ofcom, and a further 500 directly to ITV

ITV is facing an Ofcom investigation after more than 600 viewers complained as an I'm a Celebrity contestant was forced to eat a live water spider during a Bushtucker trial.

Reality TV star Ferne McCann, 25, was filmed eating the live arachnid during the Bushtucker Bonanza challenge – prompting 694 complaints to Ofcom, and a further 500 directly to ITV.

The challenge saw The Only Way Is Essex star forced to pick between a delicious meal for her and her fellow finalists or a Bushtucker dish.

Reality TV star Ferne McCann, 25, was filmed eating the live arachnid during the Bushtucker Bonanza challenge ¿ prompting 694 complaints to Ofcom, and a further 500 directly to ITV

Reality TV star Ferne McCann, 25, was filmed eating the live arachnid during the Bushtucker Bonanza challenge – prompting 694 complaints to Ofcom, and a further 500 directly to ITV

Faced with a live water spider, she was told she had to eat it all, or her favourite, a roast chicken dinner

Faced with a live water spider, she was told she had to eat it all, or her favourite, a roast chicken dinner

She was presented with 8 dishes – four featuring disgusting insects and animal body parts, and alternatives of mouthwatering dishes the celebrities have been craving for the last three weeks.

For each disgusting challenge she had the chance to earn a star – and therefore a meal – but if she went for the delicious alternative, she would win nothing.

Faced with a live water spider, she was told she had to eat it all, or her favourite, a roast chicken dinner.

As the spider reared up inside the glass the reality star began screaming – before host Ant McPartlin told her that if she swirled the glass round it would get into a smaller ball 'then down the hatch'.

She was filmed swirling the spider around to encourage it to roll into a ball before saying, 'I've come this far I'm going to give it a go'. She then knocked back the spider and crunched down on it until it had been chewed up and swallowed.

Host Mr McPartlin called McCann a 'hero' for eating the spider, which she said 'smelled of cockroach, tasted dirty - the body was mushy and gunky and the legs were spiky and crunchy'.

But viewers were left aghast at the 'cruel' challenge, writing of their disgust on Twitter and Facebook.

Ruth Shorten tweeted: 'Crossed a line there @imacelebrity eating such a large spider is cruel, disgusting, and not entertaining. Whats next, a mouse?! #ImACeleb'

Sophie ‏@Pretty_Polishd was also unimpressed: 'I absolutely hate spiders, but killing a live one for a TV entertainment eating task is a bit low. Poor spider. #ImACeleb

She was presented with 8 dishes ¿ four featuring disgusting insects and animal body parts, and alternatives of mouthwatering dishes the celebrities have been craving for the last three weeks

She was presented with 8 dishes – four featuring disgusting insects and animal body parts, and alternatives of mouthwatering dishes the celebrities have been craving for the last three weeks

For each disgusting challenge she had the chance to earn a star ¿ and therefore a meal ¿ but if she went for the delicious alternative, she would win nothing

For each disgusting challenge she had the chance to earn a star – and therefore a meal – but if she went for the delicious alternative, she would win nothing

She was filmed swirling the spider around to encourage it to roll into a ball before saying, 'I've come this far I'm going to give it a go'

She was filmed swirling the spider around to encourage it to roll into a ball before saying, 'I've come this far I'm going to give it a go'

She then knocked back the spider and crunched down on it until it had been chewed up and swallowed.  She said it 'smelled of cockroach, tasted dirty - the body was mushy and gunky and the legs were spiky and crunchy'

She then knocked back the spider and crunched down on it until it had been chewed up and swallowed.  She said it 'smelled of cockroach, tasted dirty - the body was mushy and gunky and the legs were spiky and crunchy'

julie@girlfridayni ‏added: 'An all time low, eating a live spider?? Are you serious!! That is NOT entertainment! Eating live creatures is Disturbing #ImACeleb

An Ofcom spokesman said: 'We will assess the complaints before deciding whether to investigate or not.'

An ITV spokesman said: 'I'm A Celebrity complies with all regional and national laws concerning the use of insects in the eating trials, which have become a well-established part of the show over the past 15 years.'

Despite winning a newfound respect from audiences after gamely eating a live witchetty grub, which she said tasted of 'parsley, leaves and milk', lambs' brains and a bull's penis, McCann finished third in this year's series, which was won by Geordie Shore's Vicky Pattison. Union J singer George Shelley took second spot.

ITV also had to defend the show from fix claims, after fans claimed they were unable to vote for McCann on the programme's mobile app.

One viewer posted: 'Fix!! I've tried all night to vote for Ferne & got a dead number!! £ImACeleb gutted Ferne should of won!!!!'

Another wrote: 'George - one of the most boring contestants ever - beats Ferne - who ate a live spider. Yeah, just a bit of a fix.'

Ferne steps out for the 'I'm A Celebrity' post party with winner Vicky Pattison and runner-up George Shelley 

Ferne steps out for the 'I'm A Celebrity' post party with winner Vicky Pattison and runner-up George Shelley 

Ferne celebrated with fellow finalists Vicky Pattison, from Geordie Shore and George Shelley, of Union J

Ferne celebrated with fellow finalists Vicky Pattison, from Geordie Shore and George Shelley, of Union J

The broadcaster said voting was frozen until all three of the final contenders completed their trials.

About 9.7 million viewers tuned into the show's final, compared with 10.4 million last year when Superbike champion Carl 'Foggy' Fogarty was crowned king of the jungle. 

Ferne finished third in last night's final, behind winner Vicky Pattison and runner up George Shelley.

The broadcaster has repeatedly come under fire for the treatment of animals and creatures on I'm A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here.

In 2009, ITV was forced to apologise after Gino D'Acampo, the winner of I'm A Celeb and his fellow contestant Stuart Manning captured, cooked and ate a rate on the series.

The camp had been split into two and D'Acampo and Manning were in the group that had been to 'exile' and were given tiny food rations.

Viewers saw edited scenes after which D'Acampo, 33, said in the show's video diary room: 'I saw one of these rats running around. I got a knife, I got its throat, I picked it up.'

He killed and chopped up a rat, turning it into a makeshift risotto, which he and Manning ate.

During the same series more than 100 viewers complained when contestants rode horses across a fast-flowing river .

Viewers said the frightened animals struggled as they plunged into the deep water and had to swim while animal charities accused the network of resorting to 'sensationalist stunts'.

Elisa Allen, associate director of animal rights group Peta, said: 'Time and time again, this programme has shown a complete disregard for sentient life and a lack of creativity, evidenced by the fact that it has repeated the same tacky and inhumane stunts for more than a decade.

All animals – not just the ones who are considered cute and cuddly – want to live free from harm. It's time for the producers of I'm a Celebrity … Get Me out of Here! to be called not just before the court of public opinion but also before a court of law.'

 

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