Allergic Starr forced out of jungle
Freddie Starr has been forced to drop out of 'I’m A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here!' after being advised by medics, in case his illness flares up again.
The comic, 68, had to be rushed to hospital after suffering what was thought to be an allergic reaction shortly after eating a foul meal of fermented egg and a camel toe.
Disappointed Starr said he felt “sick” not to complete his stint in the Australian jungle but had to respect the opinions of doctors.
“I wanted to be there until the very end but there’s no use crying over spilt milk,” he said.
Starr, who has had bypass surgery, had been undergoing tests after he was taken ill two hours after a stomach-churning challenge.
He had won the “greasy spoon” bushtucker trial after the determined comedian chomped through mice tails, a pig’s anus and turkey testicles among the grim items, while fellow contestant Mark Wright looked on aghast.
Doctors have not been able to pinpoint the exact cause of the apparent allergic reaction.
After being told he could not continue with the ITV1 show, Starr said: “I was sorry to hear the news about what the doctors said – that I was allergic to something, to play it safe and best for me not to go back in.
“ITV’s got a duty of care and it’s only right that the doctors advise them to keep me away from the jungle. It may not happen again but we’ll never know.
“They couldn’t find anything wrong with me physically. They checked me over and couldn’t find anything wrong with me, but told the TV people it’s a risk and that I could be allergic to something in there – and that duty of care ITV has, has to be respected.”
He added: “I was sick not to finish the show. The decision’s been made and I have to live with that. I wish everyone on the show all the best.
“They’re all really nice people and I had a great time in there.”
A spokesman for the show said producers had decided he should not return.
“Freddie has been a terrific contestant. His bush tucker trial is one of the stand out moments in the history of the series and we wish him all the very best,” he said.
The comic had already been late arriving in the camp after a paperwork problem which arose as a result of his heart attack.
He performed poorly in his first challenge, picking out stars with his teeth from a box of grubs and appeared visibly upset that he had let down his team mates.
So he took to the next challenge with gusto after being chosen by viewers to take part in the trial with former 'The Only Way Is Essex' star Wright.
After eating the pig’s bum – wrapped in a bread roll – Starr had declared: “There is nothing better than the anus of a bush pig.”
Wright told him: “You are a lunatic – you would never have stopped.”
Although the Liverpool-born comedian is renowned for the newspaper headline Freddie Starr Ate My Hamster, he said he had not actually eaten the creature in question.
The ITV1 show – set in the Australian jungle – returned with 10 contestants including Stefanie Powers, Willie Carson and McFly’s Dougie Poynter.
