Conservative MP Nadine Dorries has been suspended by the party over her decision to swap the political jungle for the Australian bush for up to a month to appear in I’m A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out Of Here.
The 55-year-old representative for Mid-Bedfordshire has had the whip withdrawn, said a party source.
Ms Dorries will face eating insects and offal as the first serving MP to take part in the show. But her stint in the jungle – which could mean her missing an EU budget vote and potentially be away for UK chancellor George Osborne’s mini-budget – caught even her colleagues off-guard.
Her constituency chairman said he was unaware of her involvement in the show and home secretary Theresa May said she believed an MP should be doing their job in their constituency and in parliament.
The MP, who earns more than £65,000 (€81,000) as an MP, has flown out to Brisbane to prepare for the show. She stands to pick up a fee for her appearance.
She justified her decision to take part to the Sun: “I’m doing the show because 16 million people watch it. If people are watching I’m A Celebrity, that is where MPs should be.”
An ITV spokeswoman declined to comment on Ms Dorries’s participation. “ITV have not announced the line-up for I’m A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out Of Here.” Ms Dorries is already facing criticism for agreeing to take part. – (PA)