Nigel Farage arrived in Australia today to become I’m A Celeb’s highest-paid contestant ever, and admitted he was scared of ‘everything’ the show would throw at him.
The 58-year-old Brexit Party founder landed at 9.45am this morning after a 20-hour flight from London to become the first confirmed campmate for the series.
Nigel has been paid a whopping £1.5 million for his time in the jungle, where he will undergo terrifying Bushtucker trials where he will be forced to eat pig testicles and deer blood.
He was all smiles as he revealed he made the decision to run so he could connect with potential young voters who want to hear his political views.
Speaking to MailOnline, he said: ‘I just think there’s a big, young audience watching the programme.
First confirmed! Nigel Farage, 58, arrived in Australia today to become I’m A Celeb’s highest-paid contestant ever, and admitted he was scared of ‘everything’ the show would throw at him
Heading to camp: The Brexit Party founder landed at 9.45am after a 20-hour flight from London this morning to become the first confirmed campmate for this series
“They’re people worth talking to and I’ve been messing around with TikTok over the last few months and you’d be surprised that there are a lot of people interested in what I have to say. So that would be the reason, if you see me there.’
When asked if he had seen fellow MP Matt Hancock in last year’s series, he replied: ‘Who hadn’t?’
ITV insiders reveal they hope the decision to pay him the seven-figure sum will ensure this series is as popular as last year’s, starring Matt Hancock.
It comes as ITV hope their investment in the former MP pays off, while those close to Farage insist he will be worth every penny – especially since he became a TikTok. sensation and has become popular with Generation Z.
One ‘ITV needs him more than he needs them. His TikTok has taken off and his social media presence on platforms that appeal to a younger audience has grown exponentially over the last six to nine months and he’s reaching that younger demographic.
‘One of ITV’s biggest priorities is attracting younger viewers, so Nigel will be a big driver in that.’
The source close to Nigel continued: ‘The relative success of Matt Hancock has left them needing to fill this void.’
Last year, the former health minister’s arrival in the jungle heralded a 300,000 viewership surge, with a peak of 9.1 million tuning in to watch his first appearance and the Bushtucker trial.
Not long to go! Nigel has been paid a whopping £1.5 million for his time in the jungle, where he will face terrifying Bushtucker trials where he will be forced to eat pig testicles and deer blood.
Beaming: He was all smiles as he revealed he made the decision to run so he could connect with potential young voters who want to hear his political views
Nigel’s deal was brokered by his friend and 2017 Jungle Queen Georgia Toffolo, who tripled the original £500,000 fee offered by ITV.
Former Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss have turned down major offers to appear on the reality show.
Nigel’s enormous popularity is thanks to the social media platform TikTok, where he has 379,000 followers and his videos rack up 6.5 million likes.
Farage even gauged opinions on the social media site on whether he should sign for I’m A Celeb.
One wrote: ‘I’ll be watching it for Nigel this year,’ while others dubbed him the ‘Goat’ – an acronym for Greatest of All Time.