Nigel Farage has said he is giving an offer to enter the jungle as a contestant on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! “very serious consideration”.
The former UKIP and Brexit Party leader, 59, said he has turned down requests since 2016, but has been in contractual talks with the ITV show for the last couple of days and will give an “absolute definitive answer within the next 48 hours”.
On his GB News show on Monday, Mr Farage said he was considering it this time round as he feels he might be able to “connect” with a younger audience.
He said: “Several times since 2016 I’ve had I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! from ITV saying to me ‘come into the jungle’.
“And they’ve always offered me really quite substantial sums of money to do so, and I have always thought ‘no, it’s probably not the right thing for me to do’.”
The politician-turned-TV presenter said the show has approached him again this year but that “unlike previous years” he is “giving it very, very serious consideration”.
Mr Farage said: “Well, you’ve got about 10 million young people who watch that programme.
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“These are people who don’t really watch the news or read newspapers, but they still care about the country they live in and their futures.
“And actually, in many ways, the futures of young people in Britain had been blighted.
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“They haven’t got the same opportunities that their parents and grandparents had and they’d love to look for solutions.
“So in my mind, if I was to do it, I might be able to connect with that audience because goodness me they all watch I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!”
He added that he feels there are “downsides” to him doing the show.
A spokesman for the show said: “Any names suggested for I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! are just speculation. We’ll announce our line-up in due course.”
Aside from his time in politics, Mr Farage has made a career as a presenter on GB News and has appeared on BBC comedy panel show Have I Got News For You and various talk shows.
Political figures have had mixed results competing on the programme.
Former health secretary Matt Hancock came third in the 2022 series, while Nadine Dorries, who was culture secretary under Boris Johnson, was eliminated by the public first in 2012.
Both lost the Conservative whip, which means sitting as an independent in the House of Commons, for taking part in the show.
Ms Dorries later had it returned and apologised in parliament over the fee she was paid for appearing.
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Former MPs including Edwina Currie in 2014, Lembit Opik in 2010 and Robert Kilroy-Silk in 2008 have also been on the show.
The Sun has claimed that former prime minister Liz Truss, who resigned last year, and her briefly-serving chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, are also being considered for the jungle.
Other rumoured contestants include This Morning star Josie Gibson and Love Island star Olivia Attwood, who competed last year but had to head home early.
Attwood, 32, was forced to withdraw after a routine blood test showed she had low sodium and potassium levels, while also flagging anaemia.
There has also been speculation that Made In Chelsea star Sam Thompson could also be a campmate, after his partner Zara McDermott competed in the latest Strictly Come Dancing series.
Other celebrities who might be in the new series include jockey Frankie Dettori, weather presenter Alex Beresford and former The Big Breakfast presenter Denise Van Outen.
The show will return to ITV1 and ITVX later this year with long-term hosts Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly fronting it.
A man has died after suffering cardiac arrest onboard a boat attempting to reach the UK.
The vessel turned back towards Equihen beach on the French coast yesterday morning.
A nurse tried to resuscitate the man but was unsuccessful.
Image: Pic: PA
French authorities have now launched an investigation into the circumstances.
A spokesperson for Doctors Without Borders, also known as MSF, has criticised authorities on both sides of the Channel.
Jacob Burns said: “Yet again we have a tragedy in the Channel, that is the consequence of the deadly, costly and ineffective security policies implemented by the UK and France.”
Image: Pic: PA
Later on Saturday, a lifeboat carried migrants who have made the voyage into the Port of Dover.
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Photographs showed them huddled under blankets and orange life jackets on board.
“The opportunity of tomorrow and what’s on offer is the best thing in football,” the England captain said. “I think we don’t necessarily carry the weight of it and how much it means to people, but we’re aware of it because it means the same to us.”
So often they were only watching other nations making finals.
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England’s first was the men winning the 1966 World Cup.
Image: England manager Sarina Wiegman reacts to defeat against Spain at the Women’s World Cup final in 2023. Pic: Reuters
Image: Lauren James looks dejected after their World Cup defeat, but is confirmed fit for Sunday’s revenge match against Spain. Pic: Reuters
Now, in Basel, comes the chance for revenge against Spain – even though no one in the England camp is saying that, publicly at least, in Switzerland.
Especially knowing how challenging a task it is coming up again against Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putella – the recent winners of football’s biggest individual honours.
Image: England fans celebrating after England beat Italy to reach the finals. Pic: Reuters
Image: Given England’s history against Spain, it could be a nerve-wracking time for England fans. File pic: Action Images/Reuters
But this is Spain’s first Euros final.
And there is some fear from the world champions at England’s grit and resolve to produce comebacks late in the quarter-finals and semi-finals – with 19-year-old Michelle Agyemang’s goals integral to the fightbacks.
Image: England celebrate their semi-final win against Italy to reach the finals. Pic: Reuters
Image: Michelle Agyemang has propelled England to the Euro 2025 final with two vital goals. Pic: AP
Spain captain Irene Paredes reflected yesterday on how the Lionesses can flip a result late on.
But she was also discussing how their World Cup win was tarnished by the on-pitch kiss that led to former Spanish federation president Luis Rubiales being convicted of a sexual assault on striker Jenni Hermoso.
It sparked a wider clamour in Spain for improved rights and respect for women.
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“Since then [2023] we took big steps forward,” Paredes said.
“I think this idea is disappearing from society. I still believe we have to continue opening doors… we’re a reference for boys and girls in society, but we still have things to do.”
It is a reminder that while tonight is about collecting silverware, both England and Spain know that emerging as champions can drive further growth in women’s football back home.
Amid it all, they’ll try to savour just what reaching a final means and how rare they are – until recently for English and Spanish women.
A woman who thought she was being injected with Botox was left unable to swallow and doctors thought she had suffered a stroke – after she contracted a life-threatening illness from a potentially illegal product.
Nicola Fairley is one of dozens of people who have developed botulism linked to unlicensed anti-wrinkle injections.
She had the procedure done with her regular beautician after winning a Facebook competition for three areas of “Botox”.
Image: Nicola Fairley
“Within two or three hours my forehead and the sides of my eyes had started to freeze,” Nicola says.
“At first I thought ‘amazing’, that’s what I wanted – then it just carried on.”
Nicola was eventually sent to A&E in Durham, where she met several other patients who all had similar symptoms.
Doctors were stumped. “They thought I’d had a stroke,” she says.
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“We all had problems with our eyes, some of us with our breathing. I couldn’t swallow – they put me on nil by mouth because they were worried I would choke in the waiting room.”
Image: Doctors were worried Nicola could choke after she was injected with a suspected illegal product
It turns out all of the patients had recently had anti-wrinkle injections containing botulinum toxin.
Health officials believe they were imported, illegal products.
Botulism – the disease they caused – is so rare many doctors never see it in their entire careers.
It can cause symptoms including slurred speech and breathing problems, and can be deadly.
The disease is so unusual, and so many cases were coming in, that doctors exhausted their stocks of anti-toxin and had to ask hospitals as far away as London to get more.
The UK Health Security Agency has so far confirmed 38 cases of botulism linked to cosmetic toxin injections, but Sky News has been told of several more.
The outbreak began in the North East but cases have now been seen in the East of England and East Midlands as well.
There are only a handful of legal botulinum toxin products in the UK – of which Botox is one.
But cosmetic treatments are largely unregulated, with anyone allowed to inject products like fillers and toxins without any medical training.
Cheap, illegal products imported from overseas are easily available.
Image: Dr Steven Land
‘It’s the Wild West’
Dr Steven Land runs Novellus Aesthetics clinic in Newcastle upon Tyne. He worked for decades as an emergency medicine doctor before moving into aesthetics.
He says he has been warning health officials of an outbreak for years.
“It’s the Wild West,” Dr Land told Sky News.
“Because anyone can do this, there is a lack of knowledge around what is legal, what’s not legal, what is okay to be injected.
“These illegal toxins could have 50 units, 5,000 units or rat poison – there could be anything in there.”