ITV has reportedly decided against including a politician in the lineup for this year's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!
The show courted controversy in 2022 when it cast former health secretary Matt Hancock - a sitting MP - who was heavily criticised for his participation at a time when Parliament was sitting.
Last year's lineup included former Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage - and although he was no longer in frontline politics at the time, he could yet be an active figure in the upcoming general election.
A date of November 14 has been touted for the election, mere days before I'm A Celeb begins, although a later date would mean that the campaign would be active during the show's run - and any political figure in the lineup could see ITV fall foul of Ofcom's strict broadcasting regulations around elections.
A source told The Sun: "It was already highly doubtful that another political type would be cast for I'm A Celeb after the backlash last time, particularly to Farage but also the kickback to Hancock.
"They also change up the playbook every year to keep things fresh.
"The timings of the General Election are just too much of a headache and it was the final straw.
"Of course, casting is in its early stages and never say never, but they are extremely unlikely to go down that road."
I'm A Celebrity typically begins in mid-November and runs for three weeks, making Sunday, November 17 the most likely start date. body check tags ::
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