BBC star slams 'abuse of animals' on I'm A Celeb as ITV issues strongly-worded response

ok.co.uk:

BBC presenter Chris Packham has hit out at rival network ITV for its continued use of animals in I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here, as he took to social media to urge the network to reconsider its “abuse of animals for entertainment.” In an emotive post shared on social media, the BBC Springwatch presenter called on Ant and Dec to announce there would be “no more abuse of animals for entertainment” from 2024 on the show while accusing the series of lacking a "fundamental respect for life”.

Describing the situation as as a “grotesque blot” on their reputations, Chris highlighted how the show was contributing to the current environmental crisis, while also drawing attention to the “perceived disregard for animal welfare.” In response to the claims, ITV issued a response, which was read out live from Australia on Good Morning Britain and downplayed the concerns raised by the presenter. "We are always fully transparent about our protocols and we have a very strict environmental plan in place on the show,” began the statement. "As a production, we comply with all regional and national laws concerning the uses of insects, animals and reptiles. “Welfare and safety is always the primary priority on any of our programmes, and at any Bushtucker trial that features animals, we have qualified and experience animal handlers on site at all time. “We inform the RSPCS NSW of all of our activities on the show and they have an open invitation to attend the site at any time.” Chris has yet to respond to the statement, but it came just hours after he penned a public letter to Geordie presenters Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly to urge them to ask the network to reconsider its stance on animal use in the show In the letter, which spanned.