I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! viewers have accused Boy George of “hypocrisy” after the Culture Club singer took aim at fellow campmate Scarlette Douglas for asking about his criminal conviction and the time he spent in prison.
In 2009 George was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment after being charged with the assault and false imprisonment of a male escort Audun Carlsen, but was released for good behaviour within four months.
On Wednesday’s edition of the ITV show, George accused the A Place In The Sun presenter of asking “inappropriate” questions after she quizzed him about the case, which did not go down well with many viewers.
While chatting in camp, Scarlette asked: “What happened with you BG and some guy in handcuffs and a radiator?”
To which George quickly replied: “That’s not true.”
The singer added: “Handcuffs is true but the radiator bit wasn’t true, but thanks for bringing it up”, and later described elements of the story as “folklore”.
Speaking in the Bush Telegraph after the interactiuon, George said: “Scarlette blatantly talked about my court case.
“I thought it was inappropriate what she did, actually. I thought she shouldn’t have said what she said to me.
“And I thought I handled it really well as it’s a big sore point for me when people say things like that.”
However, viewers were less than impressed with George’s reaction and took to Twitter to slam his “double standards” and defend Scarlette.
During his chat with Scarlette, George denied beating Carlsen, saying: “If I beat someone up there would be photographs.
“And there were none, because it didn’t happen.
“But I did do one thing. I did handcuff him, yeah. Because I’d handcuffed the guy I’d already assaulted him. So, when I said ‘I did it’, I thought, I’ll tell the truth they’ll let me go home.
“I went to prison for four months. I was on tag for four months as well.”
“Handcuffs is true but the radiator bit wasn’t true, but thanks for bringing it up.”
He then added that the people in prison “loved me” and “literally thanked me when I left”.
In the same episode, George also accused Scarlette of “shutting” him down after he attempted to engage former health secretary Matt Hancock in a debate.
George told the former MP that he believed Scarlette was trying to “save” him after she interrupted the pair’s conversation to ask the former MP about her socks.
Speaking about the exchange in the Bush Telegraph, the singer said: “I just noticed sometimes when I start a debate with Matt, Scarlette comes in and kind of shuts me down a bit or tries to change the subject.
“I don’t know whether Scarlette’s got political aspirations. But sorry, I’m just not going to stop talking. I will say what I want.”
Speaking about the exchange in the Bush Telegraph, Matt said: “I seem to have a trial whether I go out on an official trial or stay in camp.
“But most of the conversations are really interesting and I love a debate anyway, so that’s fine.”
Comedian Seann Walsh, who joined the show with the politician as a late arrival last week, also shared his thoughts, saying: “Boy George is the firework in the jungle.
“It’s absolutely hilarious. He does not care.”
Later George spoke to Seann about the exchange while the pair were at the Creek.
“She (Scarlette) sort of shut me down and she’s done it a few times,” George said.
“Matt is a grown adult and he can answer me. I’m not going to be shut down.
“If you don’t want to talk about something interesting, that’s your problem. It really annoyed me because it’s happened about three or four times.
“I don’t know whether it’s deliberate… It’s a weird thing. Are we going to sit here and talk about biscuits all day?”
Elsewhere in the episode, Chris Moyles took part in his second Bushtucker Trial, Boiling Point, which saw the radio presenter attempt to release stars using a tiny spanner.
After struggling through the challenge, the noticeably distressed DJ managed to secure just one out of a possible 11 stars.
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! continues on ITV at 9pm.