Ofcom Reaches Decision After Lorraine Kelly's Remarks About Nigel Farage Spark Complaints
Ofcom has said it will not be pursuing complaints about comments made by Lorraine Kelly relating to former UKIP leader Nigel Farage.
During Farage’s stint on I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here! last year, Lorraine made a comment on his appearance that many felt constituted “body-shaming”.
After learning the one-time Brexit Party leader was 59 years old, Lorraine remarked that he looked a “hell of a lot older”, claiming: “That’s astonishing. That shows you get the face that you deserve.”
Ofcom received a total of 354 complaints over Lorraine’s remarks, though the media regulator has now confirmed that they will not be taking the matter any further.
“We considered complaints from viewers who objected to comments made about Nigel Farage’s physical appearance,” a spokesperson said (via Metro).
“In our view, the brief exchange between the host and a reporter were part of a light-hearted discussion about jungle life, and within audience expectations for this programme.”
Farage’s involvement in I’m A Celebrity was hugely controversial at the time, with many going as far as saying they’d be boycotting the series completely due to his casting.
He eventually made it all the way to the final and finished in third place overall, behind runner-up Tony Bellew and the latest King Of The Jungle, Sam Thompson.
During the series, which aired a year after former health secretary Matt Hancock finished in the same position as Farage, hosts Ant and Dec admitted they’re keen for ITV to not include politicians in future series of I’m A Celebrity.