A Career of Refusals
Vanessa Feltz, the 64-year-old broadcaster whose career spans more than four decades, has confirmed she will not be joining the I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! camp, regardless of the fee. ITV producers have reportedly been courting her for years, according to both The Daily Star and the Daily Mirror, but she remains unmoved.
Speaking about whether ITV had approached her this year, Feltz said: "Not yet, but they usually are in touch but I have not changed my mind. I would be so appalling at it." She added that she would be terrible at every task, predicting that she would be so bad it would not even be funny.
Why the Jungle Holds No Appeal
Feltz listed the reasons she would hate the experience: being bored, fed up, hungry, eaten by mosquitoes, and contending with rats, snakes, and a rat scuttling over her face. She also dismissed any allure of the location itself. "I don't care about seeing Australia or the jungle, I couldn't care less and I like being where my family are in North West London or in East Cork," she said, speaking on behalf of BetWright Casino.
Money Is Not the Motivator
Despite repeated offers, Feltz insists she is not holding out for a bigger paycheck. "The funny thing is, every time I say no, they think I'm doing it for the money," she said. "Every time I say no, they offer me more money but I really mean no. I'm not bargaining. I do not want to go and that's it. I think it would be absolutely terrible. I think I'd just look like an absolute cretinous idiot."
A Different Reality Challenge?
While the Bushtucker Trials hold no appeal, Feltz is open to another reality format. She expressed interest in appearing on Celebrity Traitors but admitted to doubts about her ability. She fears that because she is "so fluent," people might think she is lying. She referenced her past experience on Call My Bluff and cited Paloma Faith as an example of a celebrity who was sent home first from the jungle.