Boy George ‘to enter I’m A Celeb jungle after signing biggest deal in show’s history’
Boy George has been cast in the upcoming series of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! (Getty/Unsplash)
Boy George will reportedly join the upcoming series of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!.
Despite his 2009 conviction for the false imprisonment of a sex worker, Boy George’s career continues to flourish.
After landing a spot guest-judging Drag Race UK, it’s now said that the singer has been cast on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, having reportedly agreed the show’s largest-ever fee.
The Culture Club singer, whose real name is George O’Dowd, will reportedly net $1million (£879,000) for taking part.
An insider told MailOnline: “It’s beyond exciting that we’ve secured Boy George.
“It’s been a long time since we had a huge global star film the show and he will no doubt draw viewers.
“He’s also hugely popular in Australia and with the show leaving Wales and heading back down under, he’s the perfect addition.”
I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! will return to filming in Australia for the first time in three years after it was forced to film in North Wales due to travel restrictions caused by the pandemic.
The source added: “We know it’s a huge coup to land Boy George and we can’t wait for filming to begin.
“He’s a national treasure and we have no doubt viewers will make him king of jungle.”
During an appearance on Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway earlier this year, Boy George joked that he would take part in the show only if it catered to his dietary requirements.
He jested: “Unless you do a vegan version and then I’m in.”
In August the BBC was accused of an “appalling lack of judgement” for casting Boy George on the new season of Drag Race UK.
Fans suggested it was inappropriate given that in 2009, he was given a 15 month jail sentence for falsely imprisoning a male escort, handcuffing him to a wall and beating him with a metal chain.
“During the trial his lawyer sought to paint him as the victim, for example pointing out the conviction would mean he would lose out on income from being able to perform in the US and Japan,” a sex worker known as T6X87 told PinkNews.
“For the BBC to again give Boy George a platform on a light entertainment show demonstrates an appalling lack of judgment and shows that sexual violence is not taken seriously – perhaps the rules are different if the victim is a gay man and a sex worker?”
Drag Race UK is made by World of Wonder and is commissioned by the BBC.
In recent years the singer has been accused of transphobia – allegations he has denied – after calling the disclosing of pronouns “a modern form of attention seeking”.
In May former Culture Club drummer Jon Moss accused Boy George of “conspiring to defraud” him out of £188,000.
Boy George has denied the allegations, and vowed to defend his name in court.
