I’m a Celebrity stars warned of ‘toxic and dangerous’ foods in the jungle… and you won’t believe what tops the list
The stars of the next series have been handed a warning about the food they'll face Down Under - and it's not just creepy crawlies posing a danger
I'M a Celebrity stars have faced everything from kangaroo private parts, to fish eyes and even rumours of crocodile vagina this year.
But there’s hidden dangers lurking in the jungle for this year’s contestants - and they're far from the Bushtucker creepy crawlies you'd expect.
While ITV bosses pull out all the stops to make the camp as danger-free as possible, there’s one danger they might not be able to protect campmates from - and that’s the rice.
In fact, while the stars of this year's I'm a Celeb will be forced to survive on limited rations - largely made up of rice and beans - they could be left feeling ill due to the "toxic" food.
According to leading UK food scientist Richard Conroy, eating rice which has been reheated can be more toxic than chowing down on raw witchetty grubs.
He said: “ITV bosses will be doing everything they can to ensure the campmates will be eating food that looks truly stomach-turning, but will provide no lasting damage.
“The funny thing is, camp staples like rice will probably be more dangerous than dishes served up during Bushtucker trials.
“With campmates likely to be hungry and tired, they must be careful how they store cooked rice. If it is left lying around in warm temperatures, spores of bacteria called Bacillus cereus will grow.
“The spores will quickly multiply and reheating won’t kill the bacteria off. What you’re left with is toxic rice that can serve up vomiting and diarrhoea.
“Celebrities could easily find themselves spending more time on the toilet that in the Bush telegraph.”
Mr Conroy advises eating rice as soon as it has been cooked, as there will be no fridge in camp to keep the rice cool.
In contrast, campmates could find some tummy-turning tucker a little easier to swallow.
According to figures from the UN, around 2 billion people worldwide supplement their diet with insects, with beetles being the most popular.
Mr Conroy says: “Many insects are surprisingly rich in protein. While just the very thought of them can often make our stomachs turn, in parts of Africa and Asia they can be an everyday part of meals.
“Grasshoppers are often served up in restaurants and with good reason, one grasshopper can provide about 20g of protein.
“Something like a witchetty grub - which will no doubt feature in this year’s I’m a Celeb Bushtucker Trials, will provide many nutrients, with some reports suggesting six witchetty grubs can provide as much vitamin C as an orange.
“If eaten raw, they are said to taste similar to almonds.
Mr Conroy, founder of illness compensation company SickHoliday.com recommended the freezing of crocodile meat to reduce the spread of parasites, and to cook the meat for two hours or more to kill spore-forming parasites.
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Celebs are forced to eat the bland food repeatedly as their food is rationed, in an attempt to mirror the real life conditions they would face if abandoned in the jungle.
Let's hope they can blitz the Bushtucker Trials.
Here’s 10 fast facts that prove life in the jungle isn’t a walk in the park:
1. The warm, wet conditions in the I’m A Celebrity jungle provide the perfect conditions for bacteria to grow - putting campmates at an increased risk of contracting food poisoning.
2. Celebrities are responsible for their own health and safety when it comes to cooking and preparing food - although medics including the famous Bob are always on standby.
3. Freddie Starr was rushed to hospital in 2012 with suspected food poisoning after eating a fermented egg and mouse tails. It was later revealed he had suffered an allergic reaction to an unknown food. He left the show on medical grounds.
4. It’s been claimed there will be even more stomach-churning items on the menu for contestants this year, with reports campmates could be chowing down on a crocodile’s vagina.
5. Bushtucker Trial grub is, unsurprisingly, cooked and prepared fully before being served up to poor campmates.
6. The show has a bug-breeding factory to produce the sheer numbers of creepy crawlies needed for the Bushtucker trials. In 2013, 250,000 cockroaches, 153,000 crickets and 2.5million mealworms were bred, according to I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! The Inside Story.
7. Eating cockroaches a la 2015 contestant Lady Colin Campbell is most definitely not advised without proper care. Raw cockroaches can contain potentially harmful bacteria including E.coli and salmonella.
8. Bugs are surprisingly rich in protein - making them as rich in calories as the more tasty foods dropped into camp, just not as nice to look at.
9. While the contestants might be starving in camp, the same can’t be said for crew. In previous series they have gorged up to 8,500 meals, made up of 60kg of chicken and 540 eggs.
10. Up to 30 cases are dealt with by the show’s medical staff each day, with complaints ranging from tick bites to cuts.
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