Furious I’m A Celeb fans complain to Ofcom as they slam Ant and Dec’s joke about Rev Richard Coles
I’M A Celebrity has been hit with Ofcom complaints after a joke hosts Ant and Dec made, following Maura Higgins and Reverend Richard’s eating trial.
Pig’s eyes, cockroaches, vomit fruit and sheep’s brain, among other things, were on the menu in their first Bushtucker Trial.
The game pair each had to tackle six courses at the Terrifying Teddy Bear Picnic – and they were triumphant.
Ex-Love Islander Maura, 33, faced snacks including a goat’s testicle, cow teats and bull’s penis.
But it was a joke made by Ant and Dec about the trial when back in the live studio after, that had viewers calling Ofcom, and wracking up 70 complaints.
Dec described their eating challenge as “unholy,” to which Ant replied: “Bum-holey.”
The duo were also seen making prayer hands to the backdrop of orchestral music while discussing Reverend Richard during live shows.
Reverend Richard was born in Northamptonshire on March 26, 1962, and studied theology at King’s College London.
He later went on to earn an MA from the University of Leeds.
The star spent 10 years as a Roman Catholic but returned to the Anglicanism of his childhood in 2001.
He was appointed vicar at St Mary the Virgin in Finedon, Northamptonshire, in 2011 but decided to retire in 2022.
Dec began one joke about the Reverend by saying: “It’s the start of a new day now and the first to wake up was Reverend Richard…”
Ant jumped in: “And though the night before there had been darkness and a plague of insects had been visited upon him. But he had receiveth a small bounty that did taste of cheese. And now, praise be, he did rise again.”
The exchange took place as orchestral music played in the background.
Dec then said: “So basically you are saying Richard had a fright, got some crisps, then had a sleep and got out of bed?”
To which Ant replied: “Yes my child.”
Richard is an openly gay man who was in a long-term relationship with the late Rev David Coles.
The couple were in a celibate, civil partnership and didn’t have any children.
Sadly, David died in 2019 and Richard didn’t reveal his partner’s cause of death until two years later.
In 2021, Richard revealed David had died from alcoholism.
On Tuesday night’s episode, Richard opened up about the loss of his late husband.
The I’m A Celebrity star cried “I miss him” after a heart to heart with his campmate Oti Mabuse.
He went on: “He’s just left a massive hole in my life and I’m living my life around that loss.”