Why should animals pay the price of mindless celebrity television?

MANY people have been disturbed at the mistreatment of animals in the recent series of ITV’s I’m a celebrity, get me out of here!.

Before the series even started, much animal life was annihilated in the forest around the celebrities’ camp in order to "make it safe" for them.

Almost daily during the run of the show, wild animals were used in "challenges" and "endurance tests". Insects and grubs were eaten alive. Eels removed from the water were clearly in distress. Other animals such as snakes have been confined in small tanks. Many animals have endured celebrities crawling all over them. Others have been killed. All this in the pursuit of mindless "entertainment" and shock TV.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has linked this kind of mistreatment of animal life to the steadily growing number of cases of animal abuse.

Such a high-profile display of disrespect for animal life will only serve to encourage an attitude of careless disregard. Are we becoming so desensitised that we are happy to manipulate, torture and destroy them in the ratings war and to entertain the masses?

Advocates for Animals has complained to Granada, ITV and Ofcom regarding the treatment of animals. Most programme-makers are able to devise programmes without resorting to exploiting and abusing animals.

Surely that is not too much to ask of the makers of this programme.

Ross Minett Director, Advocates for Animals