I’m a Celeb: Mixed feelings as Boy George enters the jungle after past assault charges

Is it really I’m a Celeb if there isn’t any drama? Well, this year it seems to have started early. A fan has taken to Twitter to point out how the show is a ‘hypocrite’ for having Boy George on after what happened in 2009. Here’s everything we know.

Assault charges

The iconic 80s singer was charged with assault in 2009 and received a 15-month prison sentence, as reported by The Sun.

Boy George was charged with assault after reportedly chaining Audun Carlsen, 43, in his home in 2007. As reported by Mirror, Audun said that the singer would have been cancelled if he had been a woman:

Had I been a woman and he did what he did, he would never have been given the platform. It’s hurtful that big organisations like ITV give him that platform.

He has labelled Boy George a ‘monster’, slamming I’m a Celeb for giving the singer a platform:

I still see the monster that he is every time I see him. It’s hurtful that ITV give him that platform

I think giving him this sort of platform and a record fee sends the wrong message to survivors of violence and abuse and is plain wrong

Boy George had pled not guilty, and still denies the claims, as reported by The Sun. He spent four months in prison, where the singer claimed to have been the victim of homophobic attacks.

Being called out

Audun isn’t the only person to have called out I’m a Celeb on letting Boy George take part. Indeed, Chloe Goodman, who was on Celebrity Big Brother back in 2015, has also spoken out.

Goodman took to Twitter - in a post which has since been deleted - to point out the hypocrisy of the show:

Find it crazy how I'm a celeb have boy george on after he assaults and falsely imprisoned a man!

People have been kicked off the show for tweets they did decades before #hypocrisy at it's finest.

Indeed, Jack Maynard, who was on I’m a Celeb in 2017 was kicked off the show after only three days in camp. The reason? He had posted homophobic and racist slurs before joining.

Sources used:

The Sun: 'HYPOCRISY' CBB’s Chloe Goodman blasts I’m A Celeb for ‘crazy’ decision to allow Boy George into jungle after prison stint

The Sun: HIT THE ROAD JACK Why did Jack Maynard leave I’m A Celebrity and what were his tweets about?

Mirror: Man chained to wall by Boy George slams 'monster' as he joins I'm A Celebrity jungle