BBC nature presenter Chris Packham, has claimed that I’m A Celebrity Bushtucker trials are cruel to the insects taking part.

‘The people working on I’m A Celebrity have no regard for creatures’ lives,’ Packham told Metro.

‘If a celebrity trod on a cat it would be on the front page of every newspaper but they jump up and down on as many cockroaches, spiders and bugs as they like.

‘From the first series, I’ve been nothing short of appalled by the way they abuse animals. What sickens me more than any-thing is when people say ‘‘but they’re only insects’’.

‘If a celebrity were genuinely starving, I’d have no problems with it. But when they are doing it for entertainment, it’s no more than exploitation,’ he added.

ITV denied the claims saying. ‘At each of the bushtucker trials which feature animals or insects, we have qualified and experienced animal and insect handlers on site and every trial has been carefully tested and developed,’ said a spokeswoman.