I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!’s Amir Khan and Rebekah Vardy hit with homophobia accusations
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More allegedly homophobic tweets from I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! stars have surfaced, leading fans to call for their removal from the show.
World champion boxer Amir Khan and Rebekah Vardy – the wife of Premier League-winning Leicester City striker Jamie – have been accused of anti-gay posts.
The allegations follow the exit of 22-year-old YouTuber Jack Maynard from the ITV reality show after his homophobic and racist tweets emerged.
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In one post, Maynard – the younger brother of singer Conor Maynard – called another Twitter user: “YOU RETARDED FAGGOT”.
After he left the reality show, fans unearthed posts from Khan and Vardy, with some asking whether they too would have to say goodbye to the jungle.
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In one tweet, Vardy wrote: “@MrHarryWood @xelahopkins1984 @Little_Miss_Fox what about the 3rd ‘bird’ the gay walker?” @Jay_Walker25 ginger gay w***** ha ha PMSL”.
(Twitter/rebekhavardy)
Jay Walker, the last Twitter handle included in this tweet, defended Vardy, saying: “I hate to disappoint people but this tweet was to me & we were all just repeating names a guy had called us.
“Nothing homophobic about it & actually mocking someone who had been,” he continued.
“Rebekah is the least homophonic or malicious person I know so afraid your all very much mistaken ! Good luck Mrs Vardy”.
But another tweet was discovered in which Vardy had written: “Whatsap…….GAY…..sort it out grrrrrr “.
(Twitter/rebekhavardy)
The 35-year-old contestant posted the tweet in 2013.
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It was also revealed by another Twitter user that Amir Khan, the 30-year-old Olympic silver medallist, has tweeted to call people “gay”.
One from 2011 read: “Hahah @saj23x ur profile pic looks proper gay.
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“Nothing against them. Sort it out lad. No wonder pple think u like boys haha”.
In another post from 2010, Khan wrote that another Twitter user was gay, warning that men should “abuse” and “beware” him for that reason.
“Abuse @saj23x for keeping pictures on his phone, he is defiantly gay after today’s tweet,” he said.
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“Asll the guys beware, @saj23x is GAY.”
Khan would have been in his early-to-mid-20s when he posted the tweets.
The news follows chart-topping grime artist Stormzy’s apology today, made after PinkNews revealed that the British star had repeatedly called users “a faggot,” “a fag” or “gay”.
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Many offensive online posts from other figures in the worlds of entertainment and politics have been unearthed in recent weeks.
Labour suspended Jared O’Mara MP last month after he allegedly referred to gay people as “fudge packers” and “poofters”, also alluding to anal sex as “driving up the Marmite motorway”.
And last week, famous YouTuber Zoella apologised for mocking gay and transgender people on Twitter.
The 27-year-old, who has more than 12 million subscribers, tweeted in 2010, when she was 20: “I find it funny when gay men spit…it’s like they’re trying to be a bit macho but never works…”.
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And in 2011, writing to beauty YouTuber Tanya Burr, Zoella said: “are they honestly letting a tranny in a policeman hat speak to them like that? How odd! Haha x”.
Gay Times editor Josh Rivers was sacked after it was discovered that he had tweeted offensive comments.
Rivers insulted transgender people, lesbians, women in general, Jews, Asians, Africans, the homeless, anyone he thought was “fat” or a “retard” – and old people.
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Former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale’s girlfriend, SNP MSP Jenny Gilruth, has defended her decision to appear on I’m A Celebrity.
The ex-party leader, who stepped down in August, will join Boris Johnson’s dad Stanley Johnson and Dennis Wise, a former footballer and manager, when she first turns up on the show tonight.
Dugdale will also join Coronation Street’s Jennie McAlpine footballer Jamie Vardy’s wife Rebekah, The Saturdays singer Vanessa White and Hollyoaks actor Jamie Lomas.
Kezia Dugdale with her girlfriend, Jenny Gilruth
A Scottish Labour source told the BBC that it would be a “fantastic opportunity” for her to talk about Labour policies and values.
Dugdale will donate her MSP salary to charity while she is in Australia filming the show, which draws around 10 million viewers.
