I’m A Celebrity’s King Of The Jungle Gino D’Acampo was faced with charges of animal cruelty, after he killed a rat and cooked it for his fellow camp mates.

Gino was reportedly questioned by Aussie RSPCA as soon as he emerged from the jungle, who wanted more details on how and why he killed the rat. ITV bosses are also being grilled, as experts try to ascertain if the rat was a wild native animal or a tame one introduced specifically for the bushtucker trials.

A show insider told The News Of The World: “There were rats used for the Bushtucker Trials and they were as tame as hamsters. They were used to human contact and not afraid like wild ones who would run away. The killing made for dramatic TV. But it’s likely the animal was one of the trial rats.

“It raises question marks about the show. What celebrity is going to risk appearing if they face getting nicked at the end of it.”

Last night ITV bosses confirmed the rumour saying: “Australian RSPCA are currently looking into an incident in which a rat was killed in the camp.”

Gino was said to be in a state of fear as he has a previous burglary conviction and was worried that another charge may prevent him from leaving Australia.

The source added: “Gino was detained so long his family, including his two young boys, had to travel back to the hotel without him. He has previous convictions and is terrified of getting into more trouble. But police say now he is free to go home.”