I'm a Celebrity: Kezia Dugdale avoids jungle eviction

Kezia Dugdale defied the odds earlier to extend her foray into reality television, after viewers decided to keep the former leader of Scottish Labour in the running to win '˜I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here!'
Kezia Dugdale in the Jungle. Photo by ITV/REX/ShutterstockKezia Dugdale in the Jungle. Photo by ITV/REX/Shutterstock
Kezia Dugdale in the Jungle. Photo by ITV/REX/Shutterstock

Audiences at home watching the hit ITV show, which invites public figures to undergo a series of squeamish challenges, backed the list MSP for the Lothians after comedian Shappi Khorsandi was the first voted out of the series.

The decision ensures that a little over a week after she entered the jungle in Queensland alongside the likes of Stanley Johnson, the father of foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, she will remain a fixture on television screens.

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Why did Kezia Dugdale join I’m a Celebrity?
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The voting system means that the public vote for the celebrity they wish to see remaining, meaning Ms Dugdale avoided having the least amount of votes.

That dubious honour went to the 44-year-old Iranian born Ms Khorsandi, who, alongside Ms Dugdale, was one of the final two who were told they might be heading home.

The comedian, who expressed her relief to hosts Ant and Dec that she was out of the jungle and would be able to see her children and enjoy a few home comforts, embraced Ms Dugdale when the announcement was made.

In recent days, it had been widely predicted that the 36-year-old would be the first contestant to be evicted by the watching public.

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On Monday, bookmakers Ladbrokes offered odds of 3/1 on Ms Dugdale departing the show, but by yesterday afternoon, they had shortened considerably to just 4/6.

Other bookmakers had all but written off Ms Dugdale’s hopes of succeeding in the programme, hosted by Ant and Dec. Before the vote was held, Sky Bet, Bet Victor, and BetFair all had the politician at 150/1 to win the series, the longest odds of any of the contestants.

Ms Dugdale was one of two late-entry campmates to the programme, alongside comedian and broadcaster, Iain Lee. She only entered the show properly last Thursday.

However, she was criticised by some viewers of the show as well as her fellow campmates for sleeping too often and struggling to complete her first Bushtucker Trial, a challenge in which she was asked to crawl through tanks consisting of meal worms, crickets, and cockroaches.

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According to tabloid reports, producers of the programme were also left underwhelmed by her appearances, despite basing most of her first week around a political theme, with a ‘jungle Prime Minister’ being elected within the camp.

Ms Dugdale has also been criticised by some of her peers at Holyrood, who questioned her decision to participate in the show in the first place.

Reality star Georgia ‘Toff’ Toffolo remains the favourite to win.