ITV I'm A Celebrity hit with Ofcom complaints over Ant and Dec jibe at Reverend Richard Coles

I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here has been hit with official complaints from disgruntled viewers. The ITV reality show, hosted by Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly, returned for its 2024 series earlier this month.

The launch show saw ten celebrities swap their luxurious lifestyles for basic living in Australia. Latecomers Maura Higgins and Reverend Richard Coles have since joined the initial campmates, with the 12 celebrities generally living harmoniously in camp and facing numerous Bushtucker trials and challenges.

However, it's now been revealed that Ant and Dec have sparked Ofcom complaints from unhappy fans. The show has accumulated 70 complaints after some viewers were left unimpressed by a joke from the hosts referencing the Bible and the Christian faith.

These jokes came after Richard entered the Australian jungle alongside former Love Island star Maura Higgins last week. Since his arrival, Ant and Dec have been seen making prayer hands while orchestral music plays in the background when discussing Richard during the live shows, according to the Mirror.

During Maura and Richard's eating trial, Dec was heard asking him 'More tea vicar?, reports the Manchester Evening News.

" Then in the studio following the trial, Dec described the trial as 'unholy' with Ant adding 'Bum-h**ey'. Viewers have been deeply moved, pleading to 'protect him' after Richard broke down in tears while discussing his partner's tragic passing. The 62 year old opened up about his loss, saying 'I miss him', during a heartfelt conversation with Oti Mabuse on Tuesday's episode of I'm a Celebrity (November 26). In the episode, former Strictly Come Dancing professional Oti spoke about her daughter's premature birth, revealing she couldn't hold her baby and instead used her voice to bond with her.

"They find comfort in your voice," Oti explained, recounting how for two months they sang church music every day. Richard became visibly emotional as he recalled baptising a "premature boy", who was "only just alive", leading to a poignant embrace between him and Oti. He shared: "I just remember he was this tiny little pulse of life, and David [his late partner] got a pipette of water and we blessed it, and we baptised him and he survived, and now he's a healthy young footballer, which is great. But I just felt so... it was such a precious thing.

" Oti, now a judge on Dancing on Ice, related to the experience, saying: "They are (precious), my daughter was really, really tiny when she was born. It's hell.

It's hell to be in the hospital, to hear those sounds, to not see your baby's eyes for a week, it's hell to constantly look for advice from the doctors. " Visibly upset, she further expressed her distress at having to "leave your baby in someone else's hands" every night. Oti also asked Richard if he could say a prayer for her, to which he responded that he had "already said a prayer for her". The pair shared another emotional embrace. Richard then spoke about the loss of his former partner, David, admitting to Oti: "I miss him... He's just left a massive hole in my life and I'm living my life around that loss.

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